Evaluating Country Programmes - OECD Online Bookshop

OECD 1999
Country Assistance Evaluation in the Multilateral Development Banks
aggregation of numerous audit and evaluation documents to assess results over the
period. This level would not focus on broad sectoral or macro-economic results, but
more on the aggregate results of projects and other non-lending assistance. The
results of operations would be assessed against the objectives of projects and
other non-lending assistance. This is what the AsDB has termed effectiveness.
Programme developmental impact
This level of analysis would focus on a broader, more dynamic assessment of
the institution’s efficacy and contribution to the country’s development. It would
assess sector, institutional and perhaps macro-economic results, and against these
objectives, it would assess benchmarks and indicators in those areas originally
defined in the strategy and programme documents. Attempts should be made to
assess benchmarks and indicators, but in those cases where information is not
available, more qualitative assessment would be necessary. The analysis would
also focus on the institutional level. Impact on cross-cutting issues, such as poverty
reduction, gender equity, governance and the environment could also be analysed.
The different levels of coverage could easily be tailored to an institution’s
needs, resources and ambitions. The different levels could be undertaken in stages
as an institution chooses first to examine the relevance of its strategy, then
attempts to assess the project and sectoral results of its lending programme, and
then finally evaluates the overall results of all of its activities on the country. The
entire process could possibly be carried out simultaneously, allocating less
resources to a particular level and concentrating more on others.
Guidelines for the preparation of country assistance evaluations
Box 5.6 provides a proposed blueprint for the preparation of CAEs based on experience
and consultation with the World Bank and IDB. The blueprint illustrates important
steps in country and team selection, level and focus of evaluation, preparation of
an approach paper, desk review, field visit and completion of draft and final reports.
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