Evaluation is a core part of the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation as defined in Article VII of ST/SGB/2018/3 (as may be amended or revised). In his report ‘Shifting the management paradigm’ (A/72/492), the Secretary-General signaled his intention to strengthen the self-evaluation capacity of the Secretariat to better inform programme planning and reporting on programme performance. The Secretary-General’s report (A/72/492) and related General Assembly resolutions emphasized that evaluation is an essential management tool.

The Administrative Instruction on Evaluation in the UN Secretariat (ST/AI/2021/3) sets out how Secretariat entities should manage, conduct and use evaluations. The Instruction also describes how Secretariat entities may request support from the Inspection and Evaluation Division of OIOS and the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.

The Instruction (ST/AI/2021/3/Rev.1) has been revised following Secretariat-wide consultations that broadly called for the Instruction to be simplified, and for the requirements to be clarified.

For UN staff members looking for related policy implementation guidance on Evaluation, please access the Knowledge Gateway.