Goals

The overriding goal of the German Institute for Development Evaluation (Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit; DEval) is to independently evaluate the performance of German development cooperation interventions.

Through its evidence-based evaluations and related work, DEval contributes to increase the effectiveness of development cooperation by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and its implementing organisations as well as non-governmental bodies and to further augment transparency in German development cooperation.

DEval also helps the German Bundestag to perform its parliamentary role of scrutinising the work of the executive and provides the hard evidence needed for policy initiatives to configure Germany's efforts in the field of international cooperation.

By looking at the bigger picture from an independent and external perspective, the institute helps to review methods and standards of evaluations and thus drive forward the quality of performance assessments. The institute also plans to promote evaluation capacity development (ECD) in partner countries with which Germany is engaged in development cooperation and to build strategic partnerships with academic, research and other organisations.

Functions

The main functions of the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) are to:

1. Conduct evaluations, performance reviews and impact analyses of German development cooperation activities
2. Examine and refine relevant methods and standards
3. Prepare and disseminate the findings of evaluations and methodological research
4. Run training programmes in Germany and abroad
5. Engage in national and international cooperation networks
6. Foster evaluation capacities in cooperation countries

A German cabinet decision of July 2010 defines the scope of the institute's evaluation remit as "all measures for which the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is responsible".