The Multi-Year Costed Evaluation Plan 2026–2029 establishes a strategic framework for the commissioning, management, and use of UNFPA evaluations. During this four-year period, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) will undertake 42 centralized evaluations and syntheses, with nearly half of them conducted as joint, inter-agency, or system-wide exercises. At the decentralized level, UNFPA will undertake 71 country programme evaluations and six regional programme evaluations.
The plan is based on evidence gap mapping and stakeholder consultations, ensuring it remains aligned with UNFPA’s strategic priorities and evolving learning needs. Designed for agility, the framework allows the evaluation function to remain responsive to dynamic global contexts and shifting demands.
Furthermore, the plan introduces several key innovations such as recalibrating evaluation management by piloting modalities that increase cost-efficiency. This includes transitioning the IEO toward active lead engagement in centralized evaluations with co-authorship with external experts. Centralized evaluations will also scale up the responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiencies and rigour. The plan also sharpens the focus on humanitarian evaluations, including systematically integrating humanitarian-development-peace considerations across all centralized evaluations. IEO will also undertake internal and joint evidence syntheses to maximize learning.
The implementation progress will be shared with the Executive Board through the annual report on the evaluation function.
