An independent external Evaluation of the OECD was carried out from September 2022 to July 2023. The Evaluation was focused on the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the OECD’s work as conducted by its policy committees, supported by the OECD Secretariat under the oversight of the Council. Its aim was to ensure that the Organisation is equipped to remain a global leader in providing high quality, evidence-based analysis and policy recommendations, in benchmarking policies and in developing and disseminating best practices, policy guidelines and standards to its Members and beyond in the years ahead.
The Evaluation recognises that the OECD is highly valued by its Members and Partners, that it functions well and efficiently, that there is growing demand for its work and that is has increasing diversity and influence. The report reaffirms that, among international organisations, the OECD brings a unique combination of extensive, verified data, deep expertise, the ability for cross-cutting analysis, the flexibility to respond to emerging policy issues and remarkable convening power as a forum to facilitate peer exchange. The report recognises the strength of the OECD’s very unique substantive committee structure. It also recognises that outstanding, highly professionalised human capital lies at the heart of the OECD’s strengths and that we must continue to develop and nurture that strength.
The Evaluation also identified areas for improvement in relation to: medium- and longer-term strategic planning; alignment of top-down and bottom-up priority setting; best practices for the functioning of OECD committees and bodies; communicating on the outcomes of OECD work; implementing the OECD’s global engagement; enhancing the OECD’s unique model of decentralisation; further strengthening horizontal and integrated policy work; and mainstreaming OECD policy work on gender, inclusion and sustainable development. The Secretariat Response agrees with these recommendations and sets out a way forward. Many of the Evaluation recommendations are linked to reform and corporate improvement processes already underway across the Organisation. The Secretariat will work with Members to implement follow-up actions, building on this initial response and taking due account of resource implications. Planning will be integrated and appropriately sequenced.
Acknowledgements:
The final report of the Independent Evaluation of the OECD was produced by IOD PARC, with thanks to: Julian Gayfer, Dorte Kabell, Dorothy Lucks, Patrick Tiefenbacher, Celine Giuliani, Richard Burge, Mandakini Surie, Marlene Buchy, Josh Fuchs, Joy McCarron, Diksha Mahara, Fabiola Padilla Diaz, Scott Cameron, Joe Watkins. Professor Frans Leeuw provided methodological support.
An Evaluation Contact Group of Members of the OECD Council assisted Council in overseeing the Evaluation.
The Evaluation also benefitted from the expertise of the Head of MOPAN, Suzanne Steensen, and two external experts engaged to advise Council on the Evaluation methodology, Marie-Hélène Adrien and Per Øyvind Bastøe.