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Get the latest information on our evaluations and eventsThe Office of Evaluation and Oversight, established in 1999 as an independent evaluation office, OVE evaluates the performance and development effectiveness of the activities of the IDB Group. These evaluations seek to strengthen the IDB Group through learning, accountability and transparency. OVE evaluations are disclosed to the public in accordance with IDB Group policies to share lessons learned with the region and the development community at large.
Country Program Evaluations
Evaluate the IDB’s recent support to a country, to provide useful inputs for the design of the following Country Strategy.
Sector Evaluations
Perform a comprehensive analysis within a sector or topic to extract lessons for future IDB Sector Strategies.
Project Evaluations
Generate lessons and operational recommendations by measuring the impact of individual or specific sets of projects.
Corporate Evaluations
Assess the quality of IDB policies, tools, and internal processes in order to strengthen the institution’s performance.
FEATURED EVALUATIONS
Take a look at Evaluation Policy Framework of the IDB Group, approved by the Boards of IDB and IDB Invest in July 2019.
OVE is conducting the evaluation in two overlapping phases. The first phase evaluated the relevance of IDB Lab's mandate, strategic focus, and corporate setup. Its findings are presented in this report.
Examines MICI’s policy and its implementation: its effectiveness and efficiency in resolving complaints, promoting institutional learning, its accessibility to requesters, and whether MICI has performed its functions independently, objectively, impartially and transparently.
This is OVE's fourth full validation of the IDB Group's Evaluation Recommendation Tracking System (ReTS), and the second self-standing report.
As part of its 2019-2020 annual work plan, OVE prepared an evaluation of the 2016-2020 country program of the IDB with Uruguay.
As part of its 2020 annual work plan, OVE has prepared the evaluation of the country program of the IDB Group with Argentina during 2016-2019.
This approach paper defines the objectives, scope, approach, and methodology for the forthcoming evaluation of the IDB Lab, also known as the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), by OVE.
This approach paper defines the objectives, scope, and methodology for OVE’s evaluation of the governance of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Featuring OVE’s recent blog: COVID-19: What can we learn from past responses to public health crises? “Evaluation can tell us what works, what doesn’t, and why.”
MORE ABOUT OVE
Evaluation Policy Framework
The Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) is part of the evaluation system of the IDB Group. Since July 2019, the IDB Group has an Evaluation Policy Framework, approved by the Boards of IDB and IDB Invest.
The Evaluation Policy Framework defines the objectives of the IDB Group’s evaluation system─learning, accountability and transparency. The Policy Framework establishes the scope and principles that guide evaluation in the IDB Group, both for self-evaluation work conducted by IDB and IDB Invest, as well as for independent evaluation work conducted by OVE. It also defines the roles and responsibilities within the evaluation system. Furthermore, the Policy Framework stipulates OVE´s periodic review, consistent with the practice of previous years.
INDEPENDENCE
The Office of Evaluation and Oversight is independent from IDB's Management. It has organizational and behavioral independence, and is free from external pressure and conflicts of interest according to the criteria established by the Evaluation Cooperation Group of the Multilateral Development Banks, of which the IDB is a founding member.
In this context, independence implies independence of judgment along with adequate independence in managing the resources that are reasonably necessary to reach an independent judgment, within the framework of general IDB's rules (procurement, budget, travel policies, etc).
OVE's findings, analyses, and conclusions are free from external influence at all stages of the process, including the planning of work programs and budget, formulation of terms of reference, staffing of evaluation teams, execution of evaluations and approval of reports.
See the following related documents for further information:
Review Framework for the Evaluation Function in Multilateral Development Banks
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
All evaluations produced by OVE comply with the IDB’s Access to Information Policy, ensuring that all information will be disclosed unless it is found on a narrow list of exceptions.
In May 2010, the IDB's Board of Executive Directors approved the new Access to Information Policy, which was enforced on January 1, 2011. The general principle of the new policy is to publicly disclose information unless one of the ten exceptions listed in the policy is applicable. Therefore, the documents and information produced by OVE comply with the new policy, aimed at fostering transparency and dissemination.
The new policy strengthens the IDB's commitment to transparency in all of its activities, ensuring that all information will be disclosed unless it is found on a narrow list of exceptions. The Policy establishes requirements for the timely availability of three types of information—operational, financial and institutional—and creates a two-stage review mechanism for instances in which access to information is denied.
OUR TEAM
The Office of Evaluation and Oversight comprises a team of approximately 25 staff and 30 research fellows and consultants.
Angélica McInerney
Resources Planning and Administration Senior Analyst
angelicam@iadb.org(202) 623 - 2897
WORK PROGRAM
Annually, OVE develops a work program to evaluate the IDB Group that shows planned evaluations, proposed budget for the coming year and an indicative list of evaluations for the following year.
You can review the most recent Work Program for 2021-2022 approved by the Board of Executive Directors, as well as a repository of all OVE's work programs.
2006 Work program (and 2005-2006 Annual report)
2005 Work program (and 2003-2004 Annual report)
TYPES OF EVALUATION
OVE’s multi-year work plan covers four areas: Country Program Evaluations, Sector and Thematic Evaluations, Project Evaluations and Corporate Evaluations.
Country Program Evaluations
These evaluations analyze the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the full range of IDB Group’s support to an individual borrowing country over a 4- to 5-year period. This usually corresponds to the time covered by the most recent Country Strategy. Each country program evaluation involves extensive discussions with IDB’s management and country counterparts.
Sector and Thematic Evaluations
These evaluations provide in-depth analysis of IDB’s engagement on a specific sector while supplying lessons learned and advice on future strategic directions.
Project Evaluations
These evaluations underpin all of OVE’s evaluation work – whether at the country, sector, thematic, or corporate level. An accurate picture of IDB Group’s results requires a clear understanding of the performance of the projects it supports.
Additionally, OVE has an important role in strengthening IDB Group’s overall evaluation “architecture” by validating management’s self-evaluations on project performance.
Corporate Evaluations
These evaluations focus on the IDB Group’s own structure and processes and examine how they affect the development effectiveness of its work.
EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING
OVE provides Evaluation Capacity Building to borrowing countries through cooperative evaluation agreements to develop evaluation networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. The goal is to increase awareness of the use of evaluation for public administration around the Region.
OVE provides financial and in-kind support to Spanish and Portuguese speaking CLEAR centers in Latin America situated at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (CIDE) in México and the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)in Brazil.
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Our Partners
Evaluation Cooperation Group
Asian Development Bank Independent Evaluation Department
African Development Bank Independent Development Evaluation
Black Sea Trade & Development Bank Independent Evaluation Office 
Council of Europe Development Bank Evaluation Department 
OECD Development Assistance Committee 
EBRD - Independent Evaluation Department
European Investment Bank Operations Evaluation 
International Fund for Agricultural Development - Independent Office of Evaluation
Islamic Development Bank Operations Evaluation Department 
International Monetary Fund Independent Evaluation Office 
United Nations Evaluation Group 
United Nations Development Program - Independent Evaluation Office
World Bank Independent Evaluation Group