Independent Evaluation Department of Norwegian Development Cooperation

The Independent Evaluation Department of Norwegian Development Cooperation is mandated to initiate and conduct independent evaluations of all activities financed through Norway’s development assistance budget. Operating under a distinct mandate, the department reports directly to the Secretary Generals of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The department is an independent department hosted by Norec. Our task is to provide impartial assessments that hold Norway’s development actors accountable and improve the quality and results of Norwegian development cooperation.  

Our mandate 

The evaluation work should contribute to knowledge-based learning and accountability and document whether the assistance is effective, relevant and achieving the expected results. 

The task is regulated through separate  instructions for the evaluation of Norwegian development cooperation. 

 The work is based on the guidelines for evaluation in  the Regulations for Financial Management in the State  and  in the OECD’s Development Committee . 

The instructions give the Evaluation Department the authority to evaluate any activity financed from the Norwegian development assistance budget. This means that the department is free to decide what to evaluate, what questions to ask, and how the evaluation is to be conducted. This applies regardless of who manages the assistance, whether it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, foreign missions, subordinate agencies, or civil society organizations. 

Our mandate requires us to: 

• Evaluate activities linked to the management of Norway’s development assistance budget. 

• Focus on strategies, thematic priorities, and how aid is organized and delivered, systemically beyond individual projects. 

• Ensure evaluations reflect independence, high quality, and usefulness for decision-making. 

• Make all reports and follow-up plans publicly available. 

• Follow the Norwegian state’s financial regulations and international standards, including those of the OECD/DAC.