Work Programme 2026-28

This document presents the Independent Evaluation Department's (IEvD) proposed Work Programme for the period 2026-28. It was developed after reviewing EBRD’s Strategic and Capital Framework 2026-30 priorities, IEvD’s capacity and resources, and consulting with Management, Independent Functions, and the Board of Directors.

The Work Programme recognises that delivering change starts with providing useful, relevant, and accessible independent evaluation insights. Credible and useful evaluations are a necessary but not sufficient condition for ensuring that independent evaluations are used to improve the Bank’s performance and impact. Cultivating a culture of evaluation fosters effective learning loops, driving institutional accountability and efficiency.

The Work Programme 2026-28 operationalises the three mutually reinforcing areas of focus: (i) enhance the quality of evaluation products through innovation; ii) foster a culture of evaluation and learning through knowledge, and iii) strengthen the use of evaluation through enhanced engagement. The Work Programme 2026-28 features a deliberate blend of evaluation products essential for enhancing EBRD’s institutional accountability and learning. The evaluation products are listed by their planned delivery year (see Annex 5 for details on the evaluation products).

Topics proposed for 2026 are firm; some evaluations have already started or will start in 2025. The topics proposed for 2027 remain indicative at this stage and will be refined over the coming year through the Work Programme planning process. For evaluations that have not yet commenced, both the scope and product categorisation are provisional. As is standard practice, the evaluation approach paper will define the final scope and confirm the product type. (Annex 6 provides the rationale and preliminary scope for the proposed evaluation topics.)

This Work Programme aligns with the Bank’s strategic priorities. Over the next three years, IEvD’s evaluations will focus on key strategic priorities outlined in the SCF 2026-30