2024 National Evaluation Capacities Conference Concludes with Beijing Action Plan for 2030

More than 500 delegates from over 100 countries attended the 8th National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) Conference held in Yanqing, Beijing from October 14 to 18. The conference brought together experts from governments, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international organizations to share experiences and perspectives around the theme "Responsive Evaluation: For Government, For Inclusion, For the Future." Participants exchanged valuable insights into their national evaluation systems, laying the foundation for a forward-looking vision of evaluation that is inclusive, relevant, and responsive to emerging challenges. 

Organized by the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the 2024 NEC Conference featured more than 150 speakers and over 20 sessions, which centered around three interconnected strands: National Evaluation Systems, Inclusive Evaluation Systems, and Future-Driven Systems and Approaches.  

The NEC sessions covered a wide range of topics including strategies for strengthening national systems through global partnerships; the role of country-led evaluations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); methods for involving diverse perspectives in evaluation processes; and evaluating environmental sustainability and climate change. Experts also explored how artificial intelligence can complement human decision-making, fueling engaging discussions on efficiency and ethical implications. 

One of the most significant outcomes of the NEC Conference was the development of the Beijing Action Plan for 2030. The document builds on the insights and experiences shared during the conference, setting forth a roadmap for building more responsive evaluation systems through five action points:

1. Embed country-led evaluation into public policy development and public sector management at strategic formal points of the programming and policy cycle, and where opportunity allows, in advisory and decision-making processes.

2. Support a culture of learning and practice that acknowledges evaluation’s dual role of learning and accountability.

3. Share best practices and lessons to strengthen knowledge-sharing and capacity-building at global, regional and local levels.

4. Use new and emerging technologies and capacities and build upon indigenous knowledge and expertise in the best interests of people.

5. Integrate climate, environmental and resilience-building strategies into evaluation to deepen insights into resilience, sustainability and human–nature interconnections.

The document was first presented as a draft during the closing ceremony of the 2024 NEC Conference. After gathering feedback and suggestions from NEC participants, the IEO, GEI, and CIDCA finalized and published the Beijing Action Plan.

To view all NEC session recordings and presentation slides, visit the conference resource page.