The evaluation assesses the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of UNFPA support to Sierra Leone. It also assesses the geographic and demographic coverage of UNFPA humanitarian assistance, and the role played by UNFPA in enhancing the United Nations collective contribution to national development and humanitarian results in Sierra Leone. The evaluation also provides forward-looking and actionable recommendations to support the development of the eighth UNFPA Country Programme in Sierra Leone. 

The reform of the United Nations development system (UNDS) is changing the way United Nations agencies collaborate and operate at all levels to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the years, UNFPA has remained fully committed to the reform agenda and its operationalization. In this context, the formative evaluation of the UNFPA engagement in the reform of the UNDS assesses the contribution and adaptation of UNFPA to the reform, and analyses the effects of the reform on the ability of UNFPA to deliver better to the people it serves.

The evaluation finds that UNFPA support for repositioning the UNDS has been outstanding, and  UNFPA has capitalized on the reform to deliver its mandate. However, the engagement with the reform comes with risks and costs that need to be reduced and managed.

Quick facts

The evaluation recommends UNFPA provide stronger strategic direction for its engagement with the UNDS reform, in a way that better institutionalizes the reform at all levels of the organization. UNFPA should also ensure broader ownership and better integration of the reform in humanitarian work and contexts.