What Guides Us
In our evaluation work, we follow a scientific-based approach and build cooperations based on trust and mutual respect both with internal and external partners. In doing so, we consider integrity, compliance and our evaluation standards as important as principles like fairness, equality and diversity, which characterize our professional collaborations.
Vision and Mission
Vision: Our evaluation work contributes to improving the effectiveness of development cooperation, which in turn fosters sustainable development processes. To that end, we are using our knowledge and potential as an independent evaluation institute at the science-policy-practice interface.
Mission: Our Mission is to enable evidence-based policy making by providing decision makers in the field of development cooperation with strategically relevant information. Our institute also promotes learning processes and a constructive feedback culture as well as the strengthening of accountability in our policy field. We carry out independent and scientifically sound evaluations, develop and disseminate relevant evaluation methods, and strengthen the evaluation capacities in partner countries of German development cooperation. As part of our work, we also collaborate with a wide range of governmental and civil society actors, and other scientific bodies. At the same time we actively participate in professional discussions in the development research and evaluation communities. We are committed to recognised evaluation and research standards, and accordingly assume responsibility towards all the evaluation stakeholders and users.
Integrity
Our understanding of integrity is fed by three normative areas in particular: compliance (adherence to legal provisions and institutional guidelines), professional standards (in general applicable to all DEval´s evaluations), and a corporate culture characterised by mutual appreciation and trust. We strive to reach (the widest possible) agreement between ideals, values and rules on the one hand and actual (words and) actions on the other. Hence, we are committed to adhere to the given legal, professional and ethical evaluation principles, including independence and neutrality, scientific character and usefulness, fairness and transparency, as well as social, economic and environmental responsibility. Our understanding of these terms is given in greater detail within the DEval Integrity Guidelines.
Compliance
Being funded by public means, we act in full compliance with the Federal Government’s mandatory legal provisions and institutional guidelines, such as the Public Corporate Governance Codex, the German Government´s guidelines for preventing corruption, the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO), the German General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG) and the German Federal Equal Opportunities Act (BGleiG). Furthermore, we align our evaluation work with the relevant guidelines, strategies and quality features of development cooperation, such as the BMZ evaluation guidelines, the human rights standards and the principle of economic efficiency.
Evaluation Standards
Usefullness – Evaluability – Fairness, Independence and Integrity – Precision, Scientific Character and Transparency - Comparability
The DEval evaluation standards are ambitious minimum standards that should apply to all DEval evaluations and allow for deviations only in justified exceptional cases. These standards are embedded in existing international guidelines and standards and are tested and refined on a regular basis. More on our evaluation standards.
Equality and Diversity
We consistently implement principles of equal treatment and gender equality and strive to improve the work-life balance of all our employees. We also view diversity as an opportunity and align our work to the Charta der Vielfalt (German Diversity Charta). We understand intercultural sensitivity as a key component of communication skills. This view is, among other things, supported by the fact that we at DEval share a common interest in development cooperation and the ‘Global South’. More on our insitutional culture.