Article type
Abstract
Background: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global agenda to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is significant supporter of the SDGs and conducts a large number of evaluations in different countries and regions. As there is a need for more relevant and timely evidence to inform the SDGs, syntheses of UNDP’s evaluations are a useful approach to identify common implementation barriers and facilitators across different regions.
Objectives: This presentation aims to show the results and lessons learned from 2 evidence syntheses of evaluations conducted in the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific regions and to compare the similarities and differences in findings and implications for the SDGs.
Methods: Using a similar approach, we conducted 2 evidence syntheses of UNDP’s evaluations from the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific regions since 2014. We selected a purposive sample of evaluations based on relevance, quality, and diversity of topics, and extracted insights on barriers and facilitators for implementing actions. We used qualitative inductive coding to identify themes and patterns in each synthesis.
Results: We included 50 evaluations from the Caribbean and 43 from the Asia Pacific covering a range of topics. We found common themes across both regions on the barriers and facilitators, such as coordination of implementing partners, having monitoring and evaluation systems in place, counting with a clear rationale or theory of change to design interventions, and the role that contextual domestic factors could have on project implementations. We also found differences in the value and role of UNDP and its country presence in each region and evaluation.
Conclusion: This presentation will show the results and lessons learned from 2 syntheses of evaluations conducted in different regions of the world as well as discuss the benefits and challenges of using evidence syntheses as a tool to enhance evidence generation.
Relevance and importance to the public: This presentation is relevant for the public because it shows how evaluative evidence syntheses can inform the SDGs. The presentation will be of interest to those who want to learn from the experiences and challenges of using this approach.
Objectives: This presentation aims to show the results and lessons learned from 2 evidence syntheses of evaluations conducted in the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific regions and to compare the similarities and differences in findings and implications for the SDGs.
Methods: Using a similar approach, we conducted 2 evidence syntheses of UNDP’s evaluations from the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific regions since 2014. We selected a purposive sample of evaluations based on relevance, quality, and diversity of topics, and extracted insights on barriers and facilitators for implementing actions. We used qualitative inductive coding to identify themes and patterns in each synthesis.
Results: We included 50 evaluations from the Caribbean and 43 from the Asia Pacific covering a range of topics. We found common themes across both regions on the barriers and facilitators, such as coordination of implementing partners, having monitoring and evaluation systems in place, counting with a clear rationale or theory of change to design interventions, and the role that contextual domestic factors could have on project implementations. We also found differences in the value and role of UNDP and its country presence in each region and evaluation.
Conclusion: This presentation will show the results and lessons learned from 2 syntheses of evaluations conducted in different regions of the world as well as discuss the benefits and challenges of using evidence syntheses as a tool to enhance evidence generation.
Relevance and importance to the public: This presentation is relevant for the public because it shows how evaluative evidence syntheses can inform the SDGs. The presentation will be of interest to those who want to learn from the experiences and challenges of using this approach.