INCE Meeting Showcases Progress in Measuring and Strengthening National Evaluation Systems

The annual meeting of the Índice Nacional de Capacidades en Evaluación (INCE – National Evaluation Capacity Index) convened 91 participants from 15 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean at the end of February. The event brought together key partners supporting the implementation of INCE in the region, including the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLEAR-LAC)—an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI)—the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), and the World Food Programme (WFP). 

The meeting served as a platform to share progress and strengthen collaboration on national evaluation systems (NES), a key component for evidence-informed decision making in the region. In 2023, INCE measurements were carried out in four countries—Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador—bringing the total to 11 countries in the region that conduct assessments on a biennial basis. 

INCE provides reliable and comparative information on the capacities of national evaluation systems. It supports governments in identifying strengths and areas for improvement, while also promoting collaboration among evaluation actors to enhance systems over time. 

During the meeting, Marcelo Collahuazo, Undersecretary of Evaluation of the National Planning Secretariat of Ecuador, emphasized the value of INCE for his country in an interview with Cristian Crespo, Executive Director of CLEAR-LAC. He noted that the measurement helps Ecuador innovate and evolve its evaluation system 

“We try to make the evaluation system evolve and innovate, taking into account the information provided by this measurement,” he said. “As it allows us to understand the reality of the evaluation system in the country, and based on its five dimensions, Ecuador can establish interrelated activities and improvements to strengthen the evaluation culture in the country.” 

CLEAR-LAC's Director of Evidence Use, Shantal Aragón, highlighted INCE's achievements in 2024. These included the four national measurements and five workshops on the interpretation and use of 2023 INCE results in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Peru, and Paraguay. “The index allows countries to take the pulse of their evaluation system, and the workshops help take action to improve these systems,” Aragón noted. 

One of the key findings from the recent measurement cycle is that countries with emerging national evaluation systems tend to need support in strengthening institutional structures and fostering multi-stakeholder engagement. In contrast, countries with more consolidated systems face challenges primarily around increasing the use of evaluation evidence. 

CLEAR-LAC, together with DEval and WFP, has played a central role in expanding country participation in INCE and supporting follow-up efforts. These include integrating INCE findings into national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies and using the results to inform collaborative work plans aimed at strengthening M&E systems. The initiative is also embedded in capacity development activities—such as CLEAR-LAC’s courses and workshops—and complements other diagnostic tools, including the Monitoring and Evaluation System Analysis Tool (MESA). INCE has also been featured in global evaluation forums, including the Glocal Evaluation Week, the National Evaluation Capacity (NEC) Conference, EVALAC, and the Executive Course for Evaluation Leaders (ExCEL). Its methodology is currently being piloted in two countries in Asia and six in Africa, paving the way for a global network of exchange and learning. Additionally, efforts are underway to adapt the tool for subnational use and to publish academic research that connects INCE with broader evaluation scholarship. 

Looking ahead to 2025, the INCE team in Latin America and the Caribbean will focus on streamlining data collection processes and expanding partnerships to further support the development of robust, sustainable national evaluation systems.