Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) contributes to the work of the African Development Bank (AfDB or “the Bank”) by providing insight gained from independent evaluations on what works well, what doesn’t , and the lessons we can draw to improve. 2023 was an important year, with the Bank drawing up its new Ten Year Strategy against a backdrop of tightened financial conditions and disrupted supply chains on a global scale; added to fiscal pressures in Africa resulting from frequent extreme weather events. In the 2023 African Economic Outlook on the theme of Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth, the Bank underscored the urgency to fast-track climate action and green transitions to drive the continent’s inclusive and sustainable development.
Throughout the year 2023, IDEV’s active engagement with AfDB stakeholders, including the Board of Directors, Senior Management, and task teams, supported the Bank’s strategic focus.
For example, a sector evaluation of the Bank’s support for Renewable Energy looked at 156 interventions by the Bank in the sector, drawing lessons for the future, including good practices to facilitate private investments in renewable energy production. Also delivered in 2023 was a project cluster evaluation of the Bank’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Program, Phase I, which recommended, among other action points for Phase 2, strengthening the linkage between the TAAT program and the Non-Sovereign Operations funding mechanisms, which would enable the private sector to seize emerging opportunities in agriculture technologies.
Also supporting the agrigulture sector, an evaluation synthesis of the Bank’s Support for Agriculture and Agribusiness Growth and Productivity analyzed and consolidated data from existing evaluation reports of the Bank, sister institutions, bilateral development agencies, think tanks, and academic research centers. The evaluation points to ways that the Bank can overcome the strategic, conceptual and implementation challenges of its agriculture and agribusiness growth and productivity interventions in the future.
In addition to the above-mentioned evaluations, IDEV examined the Bank’s work in five Regional Member Countries, delivered a thematic mid-term evaluation of the AfDB’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, and an evaluation of the Bank’s Economic and Sector Work. Internally, IDEV reported to the Bank’s Committee for Development Effectiveness (CODE) on the implementation of evaluation recommendations by Bank Management over the last two years.
In total, IDEV delivered 14 evaluation products in 2023.These are:
- Project cluster evaluation of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Program, Phase I
- Country Strategy and Program Evaluation (CSPE) of Mauritania
- Country Strategy and Program Evaluation (CSPE) of Kenya
- Country Strategy and Program Evaluation (CSPE) of Sao Tome and Principe
- Country Strategy Paper (CSP) Mid-Term Evaluation for Tanzania
- Country Strategy Paper (CSP) Mid-Term Review Validation for Eswatini
- Thematic mid-term evaluation of the Bank’s Strategy for Jobs for Youth in Africa
- Sector evaluation of the Bank’s support for Renewable Energy
- Thematic evaluation of the AfDB’s Economic and Sector Work, Phase 2
- Evaluation synthesis of the Bank’s Support for Agriculture and Agribusiness Growth and Productivity
- Evaluation synthesis of the Bank’s Public Financial Management
- Impact evaluation Maternal Mortality Project, Tanzania
- Management Action Record System (MARS) Report 2022
- Management Action Record System (MARS) Report 2023
Throughout the year, IDEV ensured that the knowledge from its independent evaluations was widely shared with the intended audiences, and utilized by them. During the Bank’s Annual Meetings, knowledge-sharing efforts were closely aligned with the focus on Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth at the IDEV booth, where IDEV showcased an online package of resources related to the Private Sector in Africa's Development.
IDEV evaluators actively promoted their reports by participating in numerous knowledge-sharing events, including a Climate Investment Funds Learning Event and two gLocal events. IDEV hosted three events open to external audiences: a physical roundtable in Kenya on the theme of improving last-mile electricity services; the Annual General Meeting of the African Parliamentarians’ Network on Development Evaluation (APNODE); and an online learning event on the theme of improving the sustainability of development interventions.
Internal learning events were also strong on the IDEV agenda in 2023. Notably, capitalization workshops were co-organized with other Bank departments both at headquarters and in the country offices. During the workshops, evaluation stakeholders and AfDB staff candidly discussed their experiences and gain insights for improving performance.
The team also produced knowledge and communication products to increase the uptake of evaluations produced during the year. These came in the form of briefs, highlights, lessons notes, and infographics, not forgetting multimedia animations and visuals. The knowledge products were posted on IDEV’s website and promoted via email, newsletter and social media.
In 2023, evaluation capacity-building was high on IDEV’s agenda. IDEV took over the rotating chairmanship of the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) of independent evaluation offices of International Financial Institutions. The group collaborates to harmonize and strengthen the use of evaluations across all facets of multilateral assistance. In its role as chair, IDEV held two in-person meetings in Abidjan and organized several online exchanges and webinars.
IDEV continued to promote a culture of evaluation on the continent through initiatives such as Twende Mbele, a peer learning partnership on monitoring and evaluation among African countries. It also continues to host the Secretariat of the African Parliamentarians’ Network on Development Evaluation (APNODE), and the Evaluation Platform for Regional African Development Finance Institutions (EPRADI), attending meetings and raising funds. IDEV also supported the CLEAR-FA Regional Roundtable in November 2023 in Abidjan.
Finally, IDEV led and actively supported partnerships to build capacity and promote a culture of evaluation, including with organizations such as EvalPartners, CLEAR Anglo- & Francophone Africa, the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), the International Labor Organization, the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET), the Réseau Francophone de l’Évaluation, UNFPA, UNICEF and the USAID-TSUE initiative.
The Committee for Development Effectiveness (CODE) of the Bank has expressed its appreciation of IDEV’s work in 2023, and recognized the added value of unbiased evidence in finalizing the Bank’s new Ten-Year Strategy. The Bank’s trust in IDEV reflects the attention to integrity, independence, and excellence cultivated as a corporate identity among IDEV staff. In 2024, IDEV will again take pride in hosting the 6th edition of its flagship biennial AfDB Development Evaluation Week, an important initiative to promote learning from evaluation.