Since UNFPA presented the periodic report on evaluation (DP/FPA/2008/10) to the Executive Board at its annual session 2008, the adoption of two General Assembly resolutions (62/208 and 63/311), the endorsement of the Accra Agenda for Action at the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in September 2008, and the adoption of Executive Board decision 2009/18 on the UNFPA evaluation policy (DP/FPA/2009/4) have reshaped the process of evaluation. They have redefined the role of evaluation from the objective assessment of an entity’s contributions to development results to that of a joint undertaking of development partners with national ownership and leadership. In the light of this reorientation of evaluation, this report:

(a) discusses the role of evaluation within the development environment in which UNFPA works;

(b) reviews the performance of the evaluation function in UNFPA, especially in the context of United Nations reform; and

(c) identifies areas for improvement. This report is timely because of the forthcoming submission to the Board of more than 40 country programme documents that will be developed under the revised United Nations Development Assistance Framework process.