Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 13 August 2025 — The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) officially launched the Evaluation of the Islamic Development Bank’s Human Capital Development covering Health and Education sector policies and strategies at the IsDB Headquarters. As part of the IEvD's 2025 Annual Work Plan, this evaluation aims to independently assess the implementation and results of the IsDB's interventions in the health and education sectors from 2015 to 2024.

The launch event brought together colleagues from the Human Capital Development Team and other key stakeholders to ensure a participatory approach. It served to present the evaluation's scope, objectives, and methodology, while clarifying data collection processes and promoting ownership and transparency throughout the process.

Mohammed Alsayed Ahmad, Manager of the Projects and Programs Evaluation Division at IEvD, opened the session on behalf of IEvD’s Director. The evaluation team, composed of Dr. Ahmed Abdelgawad, Ahmedou El Bah, ABM Javeed Ahsan, Dr. Reem Ahmed, and Dr. Murat Yülek, presented a portfolio review of both sectors and detailed the methodology and next steps of the evaluation.

Attendees offered valuable insights. Idrissa Dia, Director of Economic and Social Infrastructure, noted: “This initiative is crucial and couldn’t have come at a better time as we are beginning to update the sector policies and strategies.” He added, “With this evaluation, we are certain that the next iteration of the policies and strategies will put the Bank on a much better footing and in a stronger position to serve our Member Countries”. Other participating stakeholders, including those from the regional hubs, also raised important questions and shared useful feedback that will help refine the evaluation approach.

The evaluation will generate evidence on the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of IsDB's investments in the health and education sectors, while identifying lessons and recommendations to enhance future support in these sectors. The Evaluation report is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2026.