Publikationen

This "real life" introduction to evaluating progress on the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is based on emerging country experience from North and South, as well as wider past learning on sustainable development evaluation. It is the second edition of a guidebook first published in 2020, now containing additional country experiences of SDG evaluations as well as two new chapters, one on initiating an SDG evaluation and one on using the results of SDG evaluations to inform and influence policy and decision-making as a path towards sustainable change. Rather than a one-size-fits-all manual, this guide seeks to support evaluation commissioners, managers and professional evaluators to create tailored plans and approaches to SDG evaluation. It argues that a successful evaluation must be both built around existing national context and underpinned by the principles of the 2030 Agenda.

• Evaluación liderada por los países para el logro de la Agenda 2030 y de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (PDF, 3.38 MB)

• Ocampo, A; N.-M. Heinonen, D. Hoffmann and T. Rossmueller (2025). Country-led Evaluation to Achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs: A Guide for Evaluation Commissioners, Managers and Evaluators. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Development Evaluation Unit, Helsinki.

This guide introduces a practical tool called the Footprint Evaluation Typology. This tool helps evaluators and decision makers answer a critical question: How much is the project, program, or policy we are evaluating beneficial or harmful to the environment? As evaluators, one of our key responsibilities is to ensure our conclusions are not only valid but crystal clear, so that decision-makers can fully understand the severity of any actual or potential impacts on natural systems. That’s what allows them to manage the intervention to benefit both people and nature.

• Guía sobre la Tipología de Evaluación de la Huella Ecológica (PDF, 1.02 MB)

• Rowe, A., Davidson, E. J. & Chianca, T. K., with Warnholz, A. (2025), The Footprint Evaluation Typology Guide, EvalConnect (DEval), Footprint Evaluation Initiative.

The present evaluation report examines the interventions of German bilateral development cooperation in protected areas. There are two overarching goals for BMZ’s support for protected areas: conserving global biodiversity and securing sustainable incomes for the local population. This support must therefore navigate tensions arising between protection and use interests and strive to align them. The current DEval evaluation rates the relevance, effectiveness, coherence, and sustainability of the German development cooperation and illustrates patterns, practices, and challenges for the criteria impact and efficiency. Based on data from nine representative partner countries, this evaluation report provides conclusions and recommendations for future support for protected areas.

• Executive Summary (PDF, 630 KB)  Barrierefrei
• Online Annex (available only in German) (PDF, 3.29 MB)
• BMZ Response

• Sting, A., K. Lücking, M. Heinelt, C. Wicke and A. Dausendschön (2024), BMZ`s Support for Protected Areas. Evaluation Report, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Bonn

Die vorliegende Evaluierung untersucht die Maßnahmen der deutschen bilateralen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (EZ) in Schutzgebieten. Das BMZ verfolgt bei der Schutzgebietsförderung zwei übergeordnete Ziele: den Erhalt der globalen Biodiversität und die Sicherung nachhaltiger Einkommen für die lokale Bevölkerung. Die Förderung bewegt sich daher in einem Spannungsfeld zwischen Schutz- und Nutzungsinteressen, die miteinander in Einklang gebracht werden sollen.

• Deutsche Zusammenfassung (PDF, 276 KB)
• Zusammenfassung in Leichter Sprache (PDF, 3.28 MB)
• Online-Anhang (PDF, 3.29 MB)
• Stellungnahme des BMZ

• Sting, A., K. Lücking, M. Heinelt, C. Wicke und A. Dausendschön (2024), Die Schutzgebietsförderung durch das BMZ, Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (DEval), Bonn.

Evidence on the effectiveness of climate change adaptation interventions in low- and middle-income countries has been rapidly growing in recent years, particularly in the agricultural and coastal sectors. Here we address the question of whether results are consistent across intervention types, and risk reduction versus development-related outcomes using a systematic review of 363 empirical observations published in the scientific literature. 

• Villamayor-Tomas, S., A. Bisaro, K. Moull, A. Albizua, I. Mank, J. Hinkel, G. Leppert, M. Noltze (2024). Developing countries can adapt to climate change effectively using nature-based solutions. Commun Earth Environ 5, 214

The interim report of the 2030 Agenda in summer 2023 shows that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved by 2030 with the progress that is currently observed. In addition, the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numerous wars and conflicts as well as economic challenges are likely to further set back the achievement of the goals. In the year marking the half-way point of the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations (UN) is therefore calling on all countries to intensify their efforts. At the same time, all citizens continue to be called on to make their own contributions to sustainable global development. Against this backdrop, it is important to continuously monitor public perception of the 2030 Agenda. The German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) has therefore analysed how awareness of the SDGs has changed since 2015 and how the attitude of the German population towards the 2030 Agenda has changed compared to 2017.

• Schneider, S. H., A. Gödderz, H. Zille and M. Bruder (2024), Public Opinion of the 2030 Agenda: A Mid-Term Review, DEval Policy Brief 1/2024, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Bonn.