NDB launches an Evaluation Manual with methodological guidelines and contributions from the BRICS Policy Center.

The Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank (NDB) has published the first edition of its Evaluation Manual. The Manual provides clear and detailed guidance on assessment methodologies, processes, approaches and the practicalities of conducting evaluation. It offers a comprehensive reference for conducting independent and self-evaluation at the NDB, as well as methodological guidance for partners conducting evaluation at the country level.

The production of the Manual benefited from a contribution from the BRICS Policy Center, which prepared a technical paper on evaluation processes and participatory methodologies in the Global South, including methods to strengthen stakeholder engagement and ownership in evaluation processes.

In this contribution, presented as part of the Manual, the BRICS Policy Center notes that the participation of local stakeholders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of development projects has the potential to promote social transformation and justice. For this to happen, projects must value local knowledge as legitimate, document diverse local perspectives, and ensure that minorities and the marginalized can be part of the process. In the text, the BRICS Policy Center offers recommendations for the NDB to play a role in this regard, promoting the adoption of participatory methodologies at all stages of the development projects it finances.