GEI Network Participates in EVALAC 2025 in Cartagena, Colombia

The Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) participated in EVALAC 2025, held in Cartagena, Colombia from October 13 to 17. Organized by the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) of the Inter-American Development Bank, EVALAC is a key regional event focused on strengthening the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacities of public officials across Latin America and the Caribbean.

This year’s edition brought together 140 public officials from 27 countries for foundational and specialized courses for officials from national and subnational governments and development bank staff with varying levels of M&E experience.

Jos Vaessen, GEI Program Lead and Chief Evaluation Officer at the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group, delivered a course on evaluation design alongside Jeff Vargas González, Head of Public Policy Evaluation at Colombia’s National Planning Department (DNP). Other partner organizations included the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Additional training sessions were led by experts from GEI's implementing partners, including the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLEAR-LAC), the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB), and the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval). Other partner organizations included the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

“The GEI network is committed to strengthening capacity-building efforts wherever they take place. Whether we’re leading the initiative or supporting the work of others, our priority is to uphold and promote excellence in evaluation capacity development and M&E System strengthening across regions,” said Mr. Vaessen.

Established in 2023, EVALAC 2025 continues to serve as a vital platform for enhancing evaluation knowledge and skills across Latin America and the Caribbean, fostering stronger evidence-based decision-making in public policy.