Presentation of TWG

The Private Sector Evaluation thematic working group (TWG) was created in early 2013 as part of EES’s initiative to establish Thematic Working Groups. The evaluations of private sector initiatives are limited and scattered and they have yet to capture the evaluation mainstream.

The TWG unites professionals in active employment or retired, interested in the evaluation of private sector activities and working in the private sector or in other institutions within and beyond Europe.

With over 40 members currently and new members expected to join in 2020, the TWG promotes interest in evaluation within the multilateral development banks, the development finance institutions, the private sector, the auditing profession and academic think tanks. It examines what makes private sector evaluation different from evaluating public sector activities and serves as a learning platform for private sector methodologies, practices and processes.

The TWG also pays attention to a) internal accountability and learning mechanisms in place within private corporations including their use of the new information technologies, and b) environment, social, governance related impact expectations and assessments conducted by institutional investors and fund managers. Accordingly the TWG helps bring together evaluators, systems analysts and academics interested in assessing the merit, worth and value of private sector operations from a variety of evaluative perspectives.

Objectives of TWG

The Private Sector Evaluation TWG aims at advancing our understanding of the role, influence and impact of private sector activities on the development of society, the economy, and the environment. It strives to create a learning platform to share knowledge and experience regarding evaluation of private sector activities with three focus areas.

Impact investing

The assessment, monitoring and evaluation of private sector investments made by companies or organizations with the intent to contribute measurable positive social or environmental impact, alongside a financial return, to address global development challenges such as poverty, inclusion, and climate change.

Blended finance

The assessment, monitoring and evaluation of blended finance instruments, interventions and approaches that involve commercial capital and subsidized finance as a step towards fully market-based financing in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, looking at the private sector both as the financier and as the investee.

Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations

The assessment monitoring and evaluation of the role and impact of the private sector in fragile and conflict affected contexts characterized by difficult operating environments, higher costs of doing business, skills shortages, lack of rule of law, high levels of informality, and poor infrastructure and supply chains.

TWG Secretariat

• Raghavan Narayanan, Senior Evaluation Officer, IEG (rnarayanan1@ifc.org)
• Unurjargal Demberel, Evaluation Officer, IEG (udemberel@ifc.org)
• Linette Malago, Senior Executive Assistant, IEG (lmalago@worldbank.org)

Specific Contact Person in the EES Board

TBD