Evaluation of development assistance

The purpose of evaluation is to document the results of development cooperation and collate the experience gained in order to learn. Evaluations are an important source of information about the results of development cooperation for the Norwegian public and for political decision-makers.

The Evaluation Department (EVAL), located in Norad, is responsible for independently initiating and implementing evaluations of activities financed over the Norwegian aid budget, and for communicating the results to decision-makers and the general public. EVAL has a separate mandate for evaluating the Norwegian Development Aid Administration and reports directly to the Assistant Director-General of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The objectives for the Evaluation Department are:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness and results  according to the plans adopted
  • To evaluate unintended and intended impacts of an intervention
  • Assess whether resource application is reasonably commensurate with results achieved
  • Systematize findings and evidence so as to continuously improve quality of the financed initiatives by means of good learning processes.
  • Map knowledge gaps and assess the underlying assumptions on which our development cooperation is based.
  • Provide information to aid policy makers, as well as the general public.