Step 4: Evaluate the gender equality action plan

Carry out a gender-responsive evaluation of your gender equality action plan to obtain credible evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of the existing plan and improve the process of planning future gender equality action plans.

What is gender-responsive evaluation?

Gender-responsive evaluations are assessments that measure progress towards the achievement of gender-related goals set out in a plan. They assess the inputs (resources used to deliver a plan), activities (measures carried out), outputs (results produced), outcomes (short-/medium-term effects) and impacts (long-term effects) of the plan from a gender perspective[1].

You can conduct a gender-responsive evaluation during the process of implementing a plan (mid-term evaluation) and/or after a plan expires (ex post evaluation). Mid-term evaluations are useful because they can help you to assess whether the targets in your plan should be adjusted to account for factors not previously considered. However, it may be more practical to evaluate a plan only after the period of implementation is completed (for example, if your parliament has limited financial or human resources to conduct multiple evaluations).

To conduct a gender-responsive evaluation of your plan:

  • allocate responsibility and adequate human and financial resources for the evaluation activities;

  • prepare the evaluation strategy by defining the evaluation criteria, gender-sensitive evaluation questions, and the methodological approach and tools;

  • conduct and steer the evaluation by carrying out the tasks outlined in the evaluation strategy;

  • develop an evaluation report and disseminate the evaluation findings internally and externally.