VII. RATING THE EVALUATION CRITERIA The use of the five evaluation criteria is mandatory and will be assessed in all ICPEs. Box 1 below provides the main thrust of each of the evaluation criteria; what is assessed and how it will enable the assessment of programme performance. Performance parameters are interconnected across criteria and approached from a systems perspective. Annex I explains how each of the evaluation criteria are assessed.
BOX 1. How to assess each evaluation criterion RELEVANCE
The assessment of the relevance of UNDP programme support is intended to understand the extent to which the interventions have responded to the country’s development needs and priorities (as required beyond national development strategies) and United Nations and UNDP programme mandates and filled critical gaps in the country’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Relevance is an important consideration across the programme cycle from design to implementation. Relevance does not merely indicate the general importance of an intervention, but assesses whether the intervention reflects the comparative advantage of UNDP in responding to the country context and needs. It includes the pertinence of the programme strategies used, their responsiveness to the evolving context, and significance to different stakeholder groups.
COHERENCE
Coherence is assessed in two parts: internal and external. Both are crucial to understand the UNDP contribution, and the factors that impact it. Internal coherence assesses the synergies and interlinkages between UNDP interventions, projects, outputs and outcomes; and how synergies are used to enhance the UNDP contribution. External coherence considers the consistency of UNDP interventions with those of other actors in the country. It explores whether UNDP interventions are complementary, coordinated with similar interventions of other actors, and the extent to which they add value while avoiding duplication of effort. The larger objective of external coherence is that efforts are coordinated for a more comprehensive response which cannot be achieved by UNDP alone.
COUNTRY PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE RATING SYSTEM MANUAL
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