ABSTRACT
Soon after being established in 1978, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Management set up an internal evaluation function, but this role was combined with monitoring as part of IFAD's Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. In 1994, a Rapid External Assessment of IFAD was undertaken during the negotiations of the Fourth Replenishment of IFAD's Resources. One of the recommendations put forward in the assessment was that the evaluation function be separated from monitoring. The 2002 Consultation on the Sixth Replenishment of IFAD's Resources urged IFAD Management to create an independent evaluation function. In accordance with the Evaluation Policy approved in 2003, the Office of Evaluation and Studies became independent of IFAD Management in the evaluations it was to conduct. In 2009/2010, the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) conducted a peer review of IFAD's Office of Evaluation and evaluation function, the first ever by the ECG. The review was required in order for IOE to be accepted as a fully-fledged member in 2010.
