Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire — The African Development Bank (AfDB) will host the 2016 Development Evaluation Week from November 7-10, 2016 at its Headquarters in Abidjan. The aim of Evaluation Week is to improve the effectiveness of development work across the continent.

Sessions will focus on the "High 5s", the AfDB's priority development areas. What have we been doing to Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa? What works, what doesn't work, and why or why not?

During the four-day knowledge-sharing event, development stakeholders will discuss how evaluation can offer indicators for measuring success and help steer development programmes in the right direction. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the discussions will be grounded in evaluative evidence. Attendees, comprising development experts, evaluators, politicians, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, private sector stakeholders, academia and NGOs, will be invited to join the debate from Day 1, at the evaluation workshops and knowledge café.

How AfDB's High 5s for Africa Prioritizes Women Empowerment

Africa Development Bank's Alberic Kacou recently elaborated on the Bank's programs aimed at supporting empowerment of women under the AfDB's High 5 development priorities. The Bank's High 5s support for women also include recent initiatives such as the recognition on the role women play in agriculture; implementing the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative; funding the "50 Million Women Speak" and Fashionomics networking platforms. More about AfDB in this BRIEFING.

High-level panel discussions and keynote speeches will run from Tuesday, November 8 to Thursday, November 10, starting with a session moderated by Vox Africa star Erik Nyindu Kibambe. Panellists include Nialé Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development in Côte d'Ivoire, and Batio Bassière, Minister of the Environment in Burkina Faso.

"Evaluation Week provides food for thought. The major challenge for countries and their development partners is to address concerns about the validity and legitimacy of their policies and demonstrate how broadly they have brought a positive transformation to the lives of African people. Bringing together the continent's development leaders will help the AfDB achieve its strategic objectives and work towards better implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals," affirmed Rakesh Nangia, Evaluator General at the African Development Bank.

Development effectiveness is a long-standing focus area for the AfDB. The Bank's Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) Department is organising Evaluation Week, with support from the Republic of Korea and the Government of Canada.