Rome, Italy, 5 March 2025: Global leaders, policymakers and evaluation experts have come together in Rome for the first day of the 2025 IDEAS-NDB Conference, on the topic of “Multi-Dimensional Evaluation for Influence & Transformation”. Jointly organised by International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the New Development Bank (NDB), the conference will examine how evaluation can drive real-world transformational change in today’s complex global landscape. Lasting for two days, the event is being held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
With the world facing rising geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate change and widening social inequities, the role of evaluation in shaping evidence-based decision-making has never been more crucial.
The FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu highlighted the important role of evaluation as the cornerstone of learning and innovation to ensure effective sustainable development policies, stating: “We cannot solve food security challenges without understanding efficiency, effectiveness and the impacts of investment. Evaluation must move beyond metrics – it must shape the policies and innovations that will help us ensure sufficient and healthy foods for future generations. I believe that this conference can be a stepping-stone towards driving meaningful progress.”
The event welcomed around 400 global delegates, with Professor Michael Kremer, winner of the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, delivering the keynote speech on the conference theme of multi-dimensional evaluation for influence and transformation. He was joined by senior government officials, policy and decision-makers, high-level officials and heads of evaluation offices from major multilateral development institutions, and representatives of academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and others.
Over the two days, the conference will feature high-level discussions, expert panels, and strategy sessions examining a range of interconnected themes crucial to evaluation’s role in tackling the world’s most pressing challenges. These include how evaluation supports progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and understanding the complex relationships between the goals; addressing the nexus of climate change, crises, and development through robust evaluation; recognising the importance of context and culture in shaping evaluation practices; mainstreaming gender equality, human rights, and equity within evaluation frameworks; building evaluation capacity at all levels; and exploring evaluation for sustainable development in the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and other emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs), which are priority areas for NDB.
With participation from government agencies, multilateral institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, and evaluation professionals, the event serves as a global call to action—pushing for more impact-driven, inclusive, and forward-looking evaluation frameworks.
Ashwani K. Muthoo, Director General of IEO at NDB underscored the urgency for evaluators to change and innovate: “Evaluation must evolve to reflect the complexity of today’s world. We must go beyond traditional metrics to capture lived experiences, measure systemic change, and ensure that development efforts truly reach those who need them most.”
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New Development Bank (NDB)
NDB is a multilateral bank established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) with the aim of mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). In alignment with its members’ development objectives and commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, NDB prioritises high-impact operations that are climate-smart, disaster-resilient, technology-integrated, and socially inclusive. NDB’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) is responsible for independently evaluating the Bank’s policies, strategies, processes, initiatives and operations. IEO also contributes and provides oversight to improve the effectiveness of the Bank’s quality assurance and self-evaluation activities.