Behind the Evaluations of Science Groups: Piloting Guidelines to Evaluate Gender and Inclusion

Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES) conducted evaluations of CGIAR's three Science Groups (SGs) - Resilient Agrifood Systems (RAFS), Genetic Innovation (GI), and Systems Transformation (ST). The evaluations put some of the 33 initiatives of the SGs under the microscope and featured thematic deep dives and case studies. The SG Evaluation Synthesis Report and the Gender Equality and Inclusion (GESI) sub-study helped set the stage for transformative learning (portal).

Building from evaluation of the GENDER (Generating Evidence and New Directions for Equitable Results) Platform, CGIAR has been working on the new evaluation guidelines (soon available here) for piloting during the 2024 SG evaluations.

This blog dives into lessons from the SG evaluations and the trial run of the beta-version of the GESI evaluation guidelines for CGIAR, aligned to the CGIAR-wide Evaluation Framework (2022). Below we highlight key takeaways and offer recommendations to bolster gender and inclusion at CGIAR for shaping future programs and evaluations and paving the way for more inclusive approaches in delivery and evaluations.