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Advancing the SDGs by improving livelihoods and resilience vi a economic diversification and digital transformation (“SDG South Pacific”) - Joint evaluation

eval_number:

3499

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3499

location:

country:

Asia and the Pacific - regional

region:

Asia and the Pacific

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eval_title:

Advancing the SDGs by improving livelihoods and resilience vi a economic diversification and digital transformation (“SDG South Pacific”) - Joint evaluation

recommendations:

date:

2025-08-29 00:00:00.0

themes:

theme:

Organizational issues

category:

Planning and programme design

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comments:

The CO acknowledges the importance and strategic relevance of this recommendation. While the Joint Programme has achieved notable alignment with SDG priorities and regional development strategies, the evaluation has in a way, identified some critical design and implementation gaps, particularly in the areas of Theory of Change development, coherence of results frameworks, and stakeholder engagement. In response, the CO recognizes that delivering transformative impact in the Pacific SIDS where structural vulnerabilities to economic, digital, and climate shocks persist requires a more integrated and forward-looking approach to joint programming. This includes establishing a unified and contextually grounded Theory of Change, developing inclusive and measurable results frameworks, and embedding a dynamic monitoring system that facilitates learning, accountability, and real-time adaptation. Such strategic refinements are essential to ensure future programming is not only coherent and results-driven but also nationally owned, inclusive, and resilient.

action_plan:

To improve the quality, coherence, and impact of future joint programmes, the CO will focus on the following key areas: 1)Enhance leadership in joint Theory of Change development: The CO will take a more proactive role in co-developing a unified and context-specific Theory of Change with other UN partners. This will include clearly articulating how ILO’s work in decent work, employment creation, skills development etc contributes to broader joint outcomes. Greater attention will be placed on aligning the ToC with the realities of Pacific SIDS and ensuring integration across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. 2)Improve the quality and relevance of results frameworks: The CO will invest in refining indicators to ensure they are realistic, measurable, and inclusive. This includes incorporating disaggregation by gender, disability, and geographic location, and ensuring alignment with national and regional development plans. CO will also support other PUNOs in strengthening indicator design to enhance overall coherence. 3)Strengthen monitoring for learning and adaptation: The CO will work to embed more robust and participatory monitoring systems in future programming. These systems will be designed not only for accountability but also to support learning, course correction, and informed decision-making. This includes regular joint reviews and the use of simple tools that are accessible to both national and community stakeholders. 4)Contribute more strategically to programme design and selection processes: The CO will work more closely with the RCO and UNCT to ensure its proposals are grounded in evidence, responsive to national priorities, and clearly demonstrate value for joint programming. The CO will also support the RCO in promoting more coherent and integrated log frame development across all participating agencies. 5)Increase engagement with stakeholders from the outset: To improve ownership and sustainability, the CO will prioritize deeper and earlier engagement with key national ministries, constituents, subnational actors, and local communities. This will include co-designing interventions, build national capacity, and ensure that programme design reflects the realities of implementation contexts.

management_response:

Action not yet taken

progress:

No implementation

admin_units:

CO-Suva

title:

Recommendation 1: Strengthen joint programming design and monitoring Develop a unified Theory of Change and robust results framework that clearly links agency contributions to joint outcomes and includes strong indicators for gender, disability, and environmental inclusion. Integrate monitoring for learning into all JP activities, using aligned indicators and accessible tools for adaptation and accountability. In the process of endorsing a programme, the RCO should select the strongest proposal from PUNOs and support the development of accurate log frames / indicators to reflect its design and interdependencies. Relates to the following conclusions: The structural challenges identified in the 2022 ProDoc remain pertinent in 2025, with Pacific SIDS still facing skills shortages, poor digital infrastructure, and vulnerability to climate and economic shocks. While the JP aligns conceptually with regional strategies and key SDGs, implementation has been hindered by an underdeveloped ToC, weak coherence among PUNOs, and limited stakeholder engagement; particularly with technical ministries and subnational actors. Indicators were often unrealistic or poorly defined, and many assumptions about national ownership, political will, and coordination were not adequately addressed. Capacity constraints and inconsistent integration into national systems remain concerns. Future programming must prioritise stronger stakeholder engagement from inception, ensure clear and contextually relevant planning, and focus on adaptive, inclusive approaches that support long-term sustainability and alignment with national development goals.

project_symbols:

RAS/22/53/UND

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/recommendations/2356413

information_source:

Country Office

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