Box 4: Integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment perspectives in an evaluation TOR

▪ Evaluation matrix template. ▪ Outline of the evaluation report format. ▪ Pledge of ethical conduct forms. ▪ UNDP Evaluation Guidelines, highlighting • Inception report template (section 4) • Evaluation report template and expected content (Section 4) • Quality Assessment process (Section 6)

The TOR will be assessed in the evaluation quality assurance. All points summarized above conform to the rating system (Annex 6).

Box 4: Integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment perspectives in an evaluation TOR

In principle, all evaluations conducted or commissioned by UNDP must integrate human rights and gender equality, and aim to meet the requirements of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women Evaluation Performance Indicators13 (see section 6 for more details).

IMPORTANT: Integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment in the scope of the evaluation, as expressed in the TOR, is a critical first step. A gender-responsive evaluation should be carried out, even if the subject of evaluation was not gender-responsive in its design.

The UNEG guidance document, ‘Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluations’ , 14 provides examples of how to incorporate these elements into the definition of the evaluation purpose, objectives, context and scope, and how to add a gender dimension to the standard evaluation criteria. Examples of tailored evaluation questions are also provided. (Annex 2)

What makes an evaluation gender-responsive?

Gender-responsiveness includes and relates to both what the evaluation examines and how it is undertaken. This means: • assessing the degree to which gender and power relationships, including structural and other causes of inequities, discrimination and unequal power relations, change as a result of an intervention; and • using a process that is inclusive, participatory and respectful of all stakeholders (rights holders and duty bearers).

A gender-responsive evaluation promotes accountability to gender equality, human rights and women’s empowerment commitments by providing information on the way in which development programmes are affecting women and men differently and contributing towards the achievement of these commitments. It is applicable to all types of development programming, not just gender-

13 Access at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/un-system-coordination/promoting-un-accountability/keytools-and-resources 14 Access at: http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/980