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The General Directorate of Evaluation (DGE) has conducted fourteen public policy evaluations since 2010. These evaluations made it possible to make diagnoses of the various policies, to identify their achievements and weaknesses and to formulate recommendations with a view to their improvement.

The evaluation of a public policy is only useful when the results which result from it contribute to the improvement of decision-making. The use of evaluation consists of the exploitation of results for the formulation and implementation of reforms or actions to improve public services. In order to analyze the processes and dynamics of using the results and recommendations of nine public policy evaluations carried out between 2010 and 2013, the DGE undertook in 2015 an activity to monitor the use of the results of these evaluations. The general objective of monitoring is to inquire about the arrangements made by the sectoral ministries for the implementation of the recommendations from the assessments in order to ensure the efficiency of the public service.

This report, which reports on this activity, is structured in four parts. The first part presents the methodological approach followed for carrying out the activity; the second part presents an overall summary of the level of use of evaluation results for all sectoral ministries, while the third part gives details by policy evaluated; as for the fourth part, it capitalizes on the lessons learned and offers recommendations to the Government.

The policy- and decision-making environment is inherently political – both party political in terms of achieving an electoral mandate, and in terms of organisation politics and the political economy of the country. This leads to webs of power and influence, through which stakeholders must learn to navigate. In this context, evaluation evidence is one influence on outcomes. It requires translating complex evaluation findings into usable information and recommendations, building a portfolio of evidence, a coalition of stakeholders to support it, and ensuring its use requires planning and influencing strategies.

This article investigates the status quo of evaluation education in selected tertiary institutions in Anglophone African countries. Findings indicate that evaluation education in Anglophone African tertiary institutions is mostly in the nascent stages and there are mixed feelings on the appropriate entry levels (undergraduate or postgraduate). The study highlights the need for developing a specialized evaluation curriculum as well as the potential for collaboration among various stakeholders in strengthening the design and implementation of evaluation education.

The Government of the Republic of Benin has made evaluation a national priority since 2007. The ambition displayed by the authorities at the highest level is to precede any public action, with a rigorous evaluation. As such, the Government intends to develop all the tools necessary for the conduct of quality assessments. After the development and adoption in 2012 of the National Evaluation Policy (PNE), the second major act in the implementation of evaluation programming and management tools is the national methodological evaluation guide. This guide therefore aims to ensure maximum homogeneity and standardization in the conduct and use of evaluation results. Among other things, it clarifies:

• the methodology for developing the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assessments;
• the approach and methodological approach to be used to conduct each type of evaluation;
• the criteria to be used to conduct the assessments in accordance with norms and standards;
• the standard structures for project / program / policy evaluation reports;
• the different types of assessment to be conducted;
• the profile of actors qualified to conduct the assessments;
• the standard frameworks for assessing the quality of evaluations.

The demand for National Evaluation Policies (NEPs) has gained traction in Africa as more countries acknowledge the value of evaluation in enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and equity in public and development management. As these countries implement developmental programmes and projects they require appropriate and effective monitoring and evaluation systems to measure performance, assess impact and draw lessons for future programmes and projects. Similarly, the Sustainable Development Goals call for country-led systems to measure effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, sustainability, and the impact of development interventions.