Evaluation of FAO's Strategic Results Framework

At its 127th meeting of the Programme Committee, next November, the FAO Office of Evaluation (OED) will officially present the Evaluation of FAO’s Strategic Results Framework. Designed in 2013, the Strategic Framework aimed to position the Organization more strategically and to address the facts that the Organization’s programmatic activities were defined along silo-like disciplinary lines and that corporate efforts were not clearly aligned with the country programme priorities agreed with Members.

The rationale behind the Strategic Framework was sound and the evaluation reaffirmed the value of having Strategic Objectives that capitalize on FAO’s technical excellence to drive its engagement at country level and to achieve the Strategic Development Goals (SDGs). It also underlined the substantial transformation of FAO’s 70-year-old culture and organizational architecture, which prepared it for an emerging dynamic landscape.

With new leadership at the top, FAO has an opportunity to fast-track its transformation by resolutely addressing some outstanding issues identified regarding FAO’s programme and delivery structures, and management system. FAO needs to embrace a new organizational culture that is strategically oriented and focused on expertise-based engagement and agile implementation. Development progress of countries and changes in the global development architecture -particularly the introduction of the 2030 Agenda- increase the need to rethink FAO’s offering as a knowledge and technical organization, and adapt its delivery model.