Newsletter and Think Pieces

2019

  1. i-eval Flash News, No. 26 - Mar/Apr 2019

    25 April 2019

    The 26th edition of i-eval Flash news reflects on the various activities EVAL has been engaged in since the start of the year. It launches EVAL's 15th Think Piece, A brief history of evaluation in the ILO, as an opportunity to reflect on the historical evolution of the ILO's evaluation function in light of the organization's Centenary. The newsletter also highlights planned studies, noteworthy evaluation-related news from the Enterprises Department and the Africa region, in addition to upcoming learning activities, events and more.

  2. A brief history of evaluation in the ILO

    25 April 2019

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 15 - April 2019 As the ILO celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, the Centenary is an opportunity to celebrate the ILO's achievements and to reaffirm the ILO's position as the authoritative global organization for the world of work. It is in this context that EVAL reflects on the evolution of the ILO's evaluation function by issuing its 15th Think Piece on the topic.

2018

  1. i-eval Flash News, No. 25 - Nov/Dec 2018

    19 December 2018

    The 25th edition of i-eval Flash News reflects on the various activities EVAL has been engaged in since September 2018. It describes EVAL’s annual reporting to the ILO Governing Body with respect to the Annual Evaluation Report 2017-18 and its three high-level independent evaluations: ILO’s strategy and actions for improved youth employment prospects, ILO's capacity development efforts, and ILO's programme of work in Lebanon and Jordan in terms of Decent Work and the response to Syrian Refugee Crisis. The newsletter also launches EVAL’s 14th Think Piece on improving evaluation methods to better capture ILO’s specific normative and social dialogue mandate.

  2. Improving ILO evaluation methods to better capture ILO’s specific normative and social dialogue mandate

    19 December 2018

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 14 - December 2018

  3. Instrumento de diagnóstico para medir la evaluabilidad de los programas de trabajo decente por país en el contexto de los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible Anexo – Herramienta de diagnóstico

    23 November 2018

  4. i-eval Flash News, No. 24 - Aug/Sept 2018

    13 September 2018

    The 24th edition of i-eval Flash News reflects on the various activities EVAL has been engaged in since April 2018. The newsletter features new planned and completed studies, EVAL's participation in the ILC, latest examples on the use of evaluation and training opportunities. Noteworthy evaluation news from ILO's Partnership and Field Support Department (PARDEV) and from the Europe and Central Asia region are also highlighted.

  5. ILO Evaluation Quality: Challenges and potential strategies - Reflections beyond the Quality Appraisal

    25 June 2018

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 13 - June 2018

  6. Evaluation & SDG series: Diagnostic instrument to assess the evaluability of DWCPs in the context of the SDGs

    26 April 2018

  7. i-eval Flash News, No. 23 - Mar/Apr 2018

    18 April 2018

    The 23nd edition of i-eval Flash News reflects on the various activities EVAL has been engaged in since the beginning of the year. The newsletter features the new Evaluation strategy 2018-21 that was approved by the Governing Body during its 332nd session last March and introduces the Diagnostic instrument to assess the evaluability of DWCPs in the context of the SDGs. Noteworthy evaluation news from ILO's Employment Policy Department and from the Latin America and Caribbean region are also highlighted, in addition to developments from EVAL's fifth biennial workshop, and the new automated system for management response to evaluation recommendations.

2017

  1. i-eval Flash News, No. 22 - Nov/Dec 2017

    15 December 2017

    The 22nd edition of i-eval Flash News reflects the various activities EVAL has been engaged in since late summer/early autumn. It describes EVAL’s annual reporting to the ILO Governing Body, in particular with respect to the Annual Evaluation Report 2016-17 and its three high-level evaluations: Independent evaluation of the ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme strategies and actions in the Mekong subregion, 2012-2017; Independent evaluation of the ILO’s field operations and structure 2010–2016; and Independent evaluation of the ILO’s strategy and actions for creating and extending social protection floors, 2012–2017. The newsletter also introduces the ILO's new evaluation policy and sets out plans for the evaluation strategy 2018-21.

  2. Evaluation quality assessment methodology in the UN system and changes to the ILO’s quality appraisal methodology

    13 December 2017

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 12 - December 2017 -- This THINK Piece was commissioned by EVAL and written by Iker Llabres. The ILO places strong emphasis on ensuring that credible independent evaluations of its strategies, programmes, and projects are conducted in accordance with the expectations of its constituents and donors and that they are in compliance with international norms and standards. A recent independent evaluation of the ILO’s evaluation function (2016) noted that the quality assurance system had technical strengths, but also offered several opportunities for improvement. This THINK Piece offers insights on how to strengthen EVAL's quality assurance system.

  3. i-eval Flash News, No. 21 - Aug/Sept 2017

    13 September 2017

    The 21st edition of i-eval Flash News reflects the various activities EVAL has been engaged in over the past four months. It announces the release the of the third edition of the ILO policy guidelines for evaluation and the launch of the second phase of i-eval Discovery which displays all planned evaluation reports, in addition to those that are completed. The newsletter also showcases noteworthy evaluation news from ILO's Arab States region and department of Governance and Tripartism (GOVERNANCE).

  4. i-eval Flash News, No. 20 - Mar/Apr 2017

    20 April 2017

    The 20th edition of i-eval Flash News features the report of the second independent evaluation of ILO's evaluation function and related reflections made by the Governing Body this past March. The newsletter also showcases noteworthy evaluation news from ILO's department of Strategic Programming and Management (PROGRAM) and from ILO's Asia and the Pacific region. New EVAL initiatives are also highlighted, specifically on developing an automated system for tracking management response to evaluation recommendations and launching Phase II of i-eval Discovery which will display all planned evaluation reports.

2016

  1. i-eval Flash News, No. 19 - Nov/Dec 2016

    13 December 2016

    The 19th edition of i-eval Flash News reflects the various activities EVAL has been engaged in over the past four months. It describes EVAL’s annual reporting to the ILO Governing Body, in particular with respect to the Annual Evaluation Report 2015-16 and its two high-level evaluations: The ILO's strategy and actions to promote skills development for jobs and growth, 2010-15 and the ILO's Decent Work Country Programmes, Strategies and Actions in the Western Balkans, 2012-15. The newsletter also introduces a new application to easily access evaluation work, called i-eval Discovery. It also features EVAL's new social media outreach activities, and provides updates on the impact evaluation initiative and the independent evaluation of the evaluation function.

  2. Applying evaluative thinking towards an effective ILO contribution to the implementation of the SDGs

    08 December 2016

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 11 - December 2016 -- This THINK Piece was commissioned by EVAL and written by Robert Lahey. The introduction of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has meant that the ILO is having to look both inward and outward as it works to optimize its contribution to the SDGs into the Decent Work (DW) Agenda. As the Think Piece illustrates, it will not be ‘business as usual’ going forward. Evaluative thinking, involving all ILO officials and not just evaluators, offers a useful way to help identify where and how the Office can optimize its contribution to the SDGs.

  3. i-eval Flash News, No. 18 - Jul/Aug 2016

    25 August 2016

    This newsletter captures the progress and variety of new projects/initiatives that EVAL has been engaged in over the past four months. In particular, it describes EVAL’s work with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals, its work on impact evaluation, the development of an evaluation dashboard, in addition to its role in co-hosting the United Nations Evaluation Group’s Evaluation Week and participation in the International Labour Conference. The newsletter also features regional evaluation news from Africa which focuses on lessons learned from youth employment projects as well as a departmental piece from WORKQUALITY on a final independent evaluation on supporting the implementation of indigenous peoples’ rights through enhanced participation of neighbouring and regional actors.

  4. Evaluation & SDG series: The implications of the SDGs on ILO’s results framework – remarks from an evaluative perspective

    01 June 2016

  5. i-eval Flash News, No. 17 - Feb/Mar 2016

    31 March 2016

    The start of 2016 was a busy time for the Evaluation Office. The Feb/Mar newsletter (17th edition) highlights activities that EVAL recently organized, in addition to studies published since the New Year. These include: a thematic evaluation of ILO’s interventions in post-conflict, fragile and disaster-affected countries; an EVAL Think Piece on how to improve the quality of evaluations; an update on the development of an impact evaluation action plan; and a summary of EVAL’s 4th biennial workshop held from Feb. 29 – Mar. 4. The newsletter also features evaluation news from a Department (ENTERPRISES) and a Region (Europe and Central Asia).

  6. Quality assessments of ILO project evaluations: What are the next steps to better evaluations?

    29 March 2016

    i-eval THINK Piece, No. 10 - February 2016 -- This THINK Piece was commissioned by EVAL and written by Brad R. Watts. Dozens of evaluation reports are completed each year for international project activities that are funded by the ILO. Starting in 2005, the ILO began supporting independent appraisals of project evaluations as part of an effort to standardize and improve the quality of information provided for funded projects. The results of the most recent quality assessment examines 42 project evaluations that were conducted during 2014 and the first half of 2015. The author identifies alternative ideas for EVAL's consideration in an effort to obtain stronger evaluations.

2015

  1. i-eval Flash News, No. 16 - Nov/Dec 2015

    24 November 2015

    The autumn months are very busy for the Evaluation Office. This newsletter covers the annual reporting presented to the Governing Body, including summaries of the Strategy Evaluations on labour inspection and an institutional evaluation of ILO's Technical Cooperation activities. This year's cluster DWCP evaluation is on the Caribbean and a summary is included in this edition. A new impact evaluation discussion group has been formed and information on this is available. EVAL is also excited to introduce their new EVAL Comic Strip.