Branko Stanić and Vjekoslav Bratić participated from 11 to 17 April 2026 in New York in initiatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), aimed at strengthening evaluation capacity for public policies. The programme included participation in an international Delphi panel as well as a working meeting with IEO representatives.

As part of the Delphi panel, organized in collaboration with the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Stanić participated in a process conducted through three rounds of questionnaires. During this process, the views of international experts were collected and aligned with the aim of reaching consensus on the key elements of evaluation capacity. The final panel meeting was held on 14 April 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters. The results obtained will serve as a basis for the development of a global maturity model of evaluation capacity, with the aim of strengthening evidence-based policymaking.

During their stay in New York, Bratić and Stanić also held a working meeting with representatives of the IEO – Isabelle Mercier, Director, and Janis Grychowski, Chief of Capacity Development. At the meeting, the Institute’s key activities were presented, with a focus on public service efficiency analysis, budget transparency, and public policy evaluation. The discussion also covered the IEO’s current initiatives, identifying areas of mutual interest and possibilities for future collaboration, particularly in strengthening evaluation capacities and linking evaluation with decision-making and budget planning processes.

The IEO operates as an independent entity within UNDP, responsible for evaluating its programmes and policies. Its role is to strengthen accountability, promote learning, and enhance future activities, while actively contributing to the strengthening of evaluation capacities through the development of methodologies, tools, and international initiatives in the field of public policy evaluation.