Question Period Note: What is the process to evaluate and monitor results when Canada invests in a project?

Departmental practices for results evaluation, monitoring and reporting.

• Monitoring and evaluation are indispensable tools supporting the performance management of Canada's international assistance.

• Global Affairs programs responsible for international assistance projects ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation are conducted, even in challenging and insecure settings. This is carried out by Department staff, qualified third parties, project partners, or a combination.

• At the discrete project level, Canada's international assistance projects are continuously monitored by Headquarters staff and Canada's missions abroad using internationally-recognised processes and tools, including progress against planned results, risks and value-for-money.

• Global Affairs Canada undertakes robust, independent evaluations of its international assistance to generate information about what works, what does not and why. This contributes to improving Canada's assistance and helps hold Global Affairs accountable for results.

• The Department's 5-Year Evaluation Plan ensures full coverage of all grants and contribution programs. Targeted independent evaluations of discrete projects are undertaken, evidence of which is used to shape current and future programming.

Continuing improvements to Global Affairs Canada's well-established monitoring and evaluation practices and systems support the Feminist International Assistance Policy's commitment to improving the effectiveness of international assistance, providing more integrated and responsive support, investing more in innovation and research, and becoming more transparent in our results and activities. Monitoring and evaluation are central to efforts to become more evidence-based, innovative and accountable to Canadians.

Project monitoring provides the Department with an ongoing assessment of how projects are performing, while evaluation provides a "deep-dive" understanding of factors influencing performance, positively or negatively, and what adjustments might be needed.

Monitoring and evaluation are central to the Results-based Management approach used by Global Affairs Canada to effectively and efficiently manage Canada's international assistance. Results-based Management is more than just a set of tools; it is a management approach and a way of working that looks beyond activities and outputs to focus on actual results and uses evidence to inform decision-making.

To Department staff responsible for individual projects, monitoring and evaluation serve as "learning tools" to assist in program improvements and sound management practices. To senior management, monitoring and evaluation provide valuable inputs needed for evidence-based strategic decision-making shaping Canada's international assistance. To Parliamentarians and Canadians in general, monitoring and evaluation undertaken by Global Affairs Canada helps demonstrate transparency and accountability.

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