On April 28, 2026, the Energy Evaluation Asia Pacific (EEAP) organized its 26th webinar, focusing on the topic of Impact Evaluation at UNDP. The session featured presentations by:
- Vijayalakshmi Vadivelu, Chief Corporate and Thematic Evaluations, Independent Evaluation Office, UNDP, New York.
- Ben Murphy, Evaluation Specialist, Independent Evaluation Office, UNDP New York
The webinar explored how impact evaluation can be applied in complex development settings, where change is often indirect, system-driven, context-specific, and shaped by multiple actors. The discussion emphasized that impact evaluation is not only an accountability tool, but also an important mechanism for learning, adaptation, scaling, and improving development programming.
A key focus of the session was UNDP’s approach to impact evaluation. Vijayalakshmi explained why UNDP needed a practical and tailored guidance framework that reflects its operational realities, including policy advisory work, capacity strengthening, governance support, public-private finance mechanisms, and implementation in fragile or fast-changing contexts. The presentation highlighted the importance of counterfactual thinking, mixed methods approaches, and strategic choices about when an impact evaluation is appropriate.
Ben’s presentation focused on UNDP’s first global impact evaluation of its approaches to off-grid energy access. He explained why off-grid energy is a suitable and important area for impact evaluation, particularly because energy access is closely linked to development outcomes but does not automatically translate into equitable benefits. The evaluation examines whether UNDP-supported off-grid energy systems are reliable, affordable, sustainable, and able to contribute to development gains, including for women and last-mile communities.
Overall, the webinar provided practical insights into how impact evaluation can be designed for complex development interventions, especially in the energy sector. It showed that credible impact evidence requires a balance between methodological rigor, contextual understanding, appropriate comparison group, stakeholder engagement, and a clear connection between evidence and decision-making. This document summarizes the key discussion points and takeaways from the webinar.
Presentations:
Summary Notes
Download the Summary notes here.
Recording:
Access the recording here.