Department of Internal Oversight Services

Evaluation Division

Evaluation Function
Damascus. © 2010 UNRWA Photo by Isabel De La Cruz

The UNRWA eEvaluation function is central to UNRWA effective service delivery. Led by the Department of Internal Oversight Services Evaluation Division, the evaluation function provides centralized and decentralized evaluations of the Agency’s work to ensure accountability and learning.  

Evaluations can be incredibly useful exercises for the managers of the Agency’s programmes, operational and functional units, and projects as well as for partners and programme participants. Evaluations can generate evidence on the outcomes of interventions, offering important information to Palestine refugees and donors on the efficiency and effectiveness of funding used for UNRWA’s work. For staff, evaluations contribute to learning by reflecting on factors influencing achievements and areas for improvement in projects, programmes and emergency interventions.  

The UNRWA evaluation function consists of a centralized and decentralized evaluation system. Centralized evaluations are conducted or commissioned by the Department of Internal Oversight Services (DIOS), while decentralized evaluations are commissioned by field offices or headquarter departments and are quality assured by the DIOS Evaluation Division.

 

Governance and Responsibilities

First established in 2007, the Evaluation Division assumes functional leadership and oversight over the UNRWA evaluation system and is responsible for evaluations as prescribed in Organization Directive-14 (OD-14), the 2022 Evaluation Policy, and according to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards. 

DIOS reports to the Commissioner-General on all oversight activities, including evaluations. To ensure that decisions regarding oversight activities are always well informed and in line with the Agency's broader needs, the Advisory Committee on Internal Oversight provides the Commissioner-General with expert advice on the subject. 

An UNRWA Evaluation Network, consisting of focal points from field offices and headquarters departments, convenes quarterly events to support capacity building, professional exchanges and the use of evaluation results.  

Responsibilities of the Evaluation Division include:

  • Assuming functional leadership and oversight over the UNRWA evaluation system by: designing, commissioning, managing and carrying out evaluations conducted within the Department of Internal Oversight Services (centralized evaluations) 
  • Providing guidance, technical support and capacity development for the management of evaluations conducted by headquarters departments and field offices (decentralized evaluations); 
  • Promoting an evaluation culture in the Agency 
  • Developing and updating evaluation-related policy documents, guidelines, systems, procedures and tools 
  • Preparing an annual Evaluation Plan based on a process of consultation, clear rationale for future evaluations, and prioritization of the subjects for evaluation. It is then presented for the review of the ACIO and approval by the Commissioner-General 
  • Managing a follow-up system for evaluation recommendations; 
  • Informing internal and external stakeholders of evaluation findings and recommendations​


UNRWA EVALUATION MANUAL 

This manual has been tailored to support UNRWA staff in planning, designing and managing decentralized evaluations of Agency activities. It is designed to provide practical guidance and tools useful to UNRWA project and programme managers as they formulate projects, plan and budget for evaluations, and oversee their implementation and use. This guide will also be useful to external evaluation consultants commissioned to conduct evaluations of UNRWA activities. 

UNRWA Evaluation Manual


Manual templates and tools

 

 


EVALUATION REPORTS 


 

Centralized Reports

 

Evaluation of the UNRWA Organizational Development

2011  
 

Evaluation of UNRWA Fleet Management 

2011  
 

Evaluation of the Medium Term Strategy 

2013  
 

Evaluation of Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme

2013  
 

Evaluation of the Family Health Team Approach 

2014  
 

Evaluation of the Organizational Structure in Lebanon Field Office 

2014  
 

Evaluation of Emergency Cash Assistance, Syria Emergency Response 

2014  
 

Evaluation of the Resource Mobilization Strategy 2012-2015

2015  
 

Evaluation of the Introduction of E-Health

2016  
 

Evaluation of the Security Risk Management Programme 

2016  
 

Evaluation of the UNRWA Transition to the E-Card (Cash) Modality 

2018  
 

Evaluation of the Agency’s Monitoring and Reporting Activities on the Medium Term Strategy 2016–2021

2020  
 

Evaluation of the Agency’s Protection Audit Mechanism 

2021  
 

Evaluation of the Agency Medium-Term Strategy

2021

 
 

Evaluation of the UNRWA Family Health Team Reform 

2021

 
 

Evaluation of UNRWA Support to Vulnerable Children in Gaza Funded by Islamic Relief USA, 2015-2021,  Results Summary

2023

 
 

Evaluation of the UNRWA Emergency Appeals for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Syria Regional Crisis 2016-21

2023

 

 

Decentralised Reports

 

Decentralized Evaluation of the DG Echo Partnership with UNRWA 

2009  
 

Decentralized Evaluation of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy

2014  
 

Decentralized Project Analysis of the Cash Component for Palestine Refugees from Syria, 2011 Special Measures

2015  
 

Decentralized Review of Support to Community-Based Rehabilitation Centres in Jordan 

2015  
 

Decentralized Project Evaluation of 'Improvement of Living Conditions of Vulnerable Palestine Refugees in Jerash Camp'

2017  
 

Decentralized Evaluation of UNRWA's Gender Initiative 2014-2017

2018  
 

Decentralized Project Evaluation of the UNRWA Engaging Youth Project in Syria

2018  
 

Decentralized Project Evaluation of 'Replacing Rented Schools at Jabal Al Taj' 

2018  
 

Decentralized Project Evaluation of Maintaining the Resilience of Palestine Refugees from Syria in Lebanon

2019  
 

Decentralized Evaluation of UNRWA Child and Family Protection Services in Jordan

2019  
 

Decentralized project evaluation of “Strengthening the resilience of Palestine refugees from Syrian in Lebanon and Jordan” MADAD phase two

2020  
 

Decentralized Mid-term Evaluation of MADAD III support in Lebanon and Jordan

2022  
 

Decentralized project evaluation of teacher professional capacity development and teaching of French

2022  
 

Final Evaluation of MADAD III Support in Lebanon and Jordan

2023  

EXTERNAL LINKS