Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 21 April 2026 – The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) convened an Evaluation Launch event to commence preparation of a Synthesis Review Report on Special Assistance Program Evaluations. The report will consolidate findings and lessons from more than a decade of IEvD evaluations. Conceived as a learning product, the synthesis will distill what has worked, what has not, and why, providing an evidence base to inform the design and delivery of Bank’s future operations.   

During the meeting, Management, including May Ali Babiker Eltahir, Director and Abdelhakim Yessouf, Manager of the Cooperation & Capacity Development Department; and Mohammed Alsayed Ahmad, Manager of the Independent Evaluation Department, reaffirmed the Bank’s strong commitment to learning and accountability. Special Assistance Division representatives stressed their focus on applying evaluation recommendations and continuous improvement. They discussed the evolution of Special Assistance programs, offered feedback on the evaluation team’s concept note, noted progress in implementing previous STEER recommendations, and emphasized the program’s positive impact even through modest interventions.

The Evaluation Department presented the scope of the synthesis, which will cover the period from 2014 to 2025 and draw on cluster evaluations conducted in countries such as India, Ethiopia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Tanzania, China, Rwanda and Canada. The synthesis will examine both the Community Outreach Program and the Scholarship Program, relying entirely on existing evaluation reports without new field missions.

The evaluation team also highlighted recurring challenges identified in past evaluations, such as counterpart funding, coordination complexities, and engagement with non‑member countries, while acknowledging the progress achieved to date. The participants from both teams concluded the meeting by reaffirming their shared commitment to using evaluation insights to strengthen future programming and enhance the impact of Special Assistance interventions.