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Evaluating Country Programmes
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The period of coverage of the evaluation should be sufficient to allow for projects and their
respective evaluations to be completed so that they may feature in the evaluation. If the strategy is
substantially changed, this should be reflected in the evaluation and, if necessary, each strategy
should be assessed individually.
Operational coverage and constraints
In addition to traditional investment loans and technical assistance operations,
other activities include support in the areas of balance of payments and economic
stability; structural adjustment and sector adjustment lending; advice and
policy dialogue either directly through its operations or through its economic sector
work (ESW); debt management support and services; loans and equity financing to
the private sector; and aid co-ordination and mobilisation of support through cofinancing
with other donors, export credit agencies and the private sector. In some
cases, political considerations may also come into play, such as a moratorium or
stoppage of lending to a country to encourage political change. Ideally, all these
considerations would need to be taken into account when assessing the effectiveness
of assistance; however, the extent to which these different inputs are clearly
identifiable, quantifiable and separable may prevent their full assessment. A partial
analysis may be possible in some cases.
The country evaluation should be aware of all the institution’s assistance instruments and
activities. However, based on cost considerations and strategic selectivity, the evaluation should
address the most relevant assistance instruments and activities for the country.
Preparation of evaluation
Another issue is that of the timing of an evaluation. Ideally, the CAE should be
undertaken in order to input its results and lessons learned into the preparation
of the next round of the country strategy. There is, however, some argument that
the CAE should be completed at a time close to the approval of the new country
strategy by management and the Executive Board in order to make it more relevant.
Another point to bear in mind – a political consideration – is the proximity of the
election of a new government in the country, with its ensuing leadership and possible
policy changes.
The timing of the country evaluations should permit the results, recommendations and lessons
learned to feed into the preparation of the next strategy and be available to management and the
executive board in time for reviewing or approving the new strategy. Ideally, the evaluation should
be available in time for the programming mission to the country and well before the new strategy is
drafted. The new strategy should reflect the recommendations and the lessons of the evaluation;
management and the board should be aware of these recommendations and lessons in their critical
review of the proposed programme.
OECD 1999