UNCTAD, governed by 194 member States, is the United Nations body responsible for addressing economic and sustainable development issues with a focus on trade, finance, investment, and technology. It assists developing countries in participating equitably in the global economy. UNCTAD's work can be summed up in three words: think, debate, deliver.

ALDC Division Evaluation

In 2018, DeftEdge conducted an Independent thematic evaluation of UNCTAD's Africa, Least Developed Countries and other Special needs Countries Division in light of the UN reforms and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The evaluation employed mixed methods, including qualitative and quantitative data analysis, interviews, and surveys. UNCTAD's Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes (ALDC) is vested with the substantive responsibility for Sub-programme 5 (SP5), which aims "to promote development of national policies and international support measures to build productive capacities for economic development and poverty reduction in Africa, LDCs and other groups of countries in special situations and to progressively and beneficially integrate them into the global economy."
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Investment and Enterprise Subprogramme Evaluation

DeftEdge also led an external evaluation of UNCTAD's subprogramme 2 on Investment and Enterprise from 2019-2022. The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources. An evaluation framework based on a theory of change guided data collection, analysis, and reporting. Primary data was gathered through interviews and focus group discussions with around 44 stakeholders and an online survey with 67 respondents. Secondary data included an analysis of more than 305 documents. The evaluation assessed the subprogramme against standard criteria such as relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, coherence, and likelihood of impact, while also examining cross-cutting issues of gender, human rights, and inclusion.
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South-South Integration and the SDGs Project Evaluation

DeftEdge conducted an evaluation of the project titled "South-South Integration and the SDGs: Enhancing Structural Transformation in Key Partner Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative". This project aimed to share experiences from China with other countries in the Global South on the transformation process and the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). The evaluation employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources. An evaluation framework based on a theory of change guided data collection, analysis, and reporting. Primary data was gathered through interviews and focus group discussions with 22 stakeholders and an online survey with 47 respondents. Secondary data included a review of over 300 documents. The evaluation assessed the project against standard criteria such as relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, coherence, and likelihood of impact, while also examining cross-cutting issues of gender, human rights, and inclusion.
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