At the International Trade Centre (ITC), evaluation is more than a compliance exercise. Independent evaluations of our work certify our successes and lay out how to deepen our commitment to making sure everyone benefits from global trade.
A case in point: the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), which connects global fashion brands to exceptional artisans in emerging markets. Their latest evaluation showed how to apply EFI’s successes across our work.
From insight to improvement
The EFI evaluation interviewed 62 experts, reviewed 97 documents, and held 14 focus groups with beneficiaries. This breadth allowed evaluators to assemble evidence on performance and sustainability.
Findings underscored how EFI’s model can generate dignified work while raising quality and productivity. Under this model, local social enterprises and small businesses coordinate production hubs, enforce ethical standards, and broker access to international markets. The evaluation looked at EFI’s work, especially in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In these countries, strengthened production systems and market linkages led to better incomes for artisans and small businesses.
Crucially, the evaluation did not end at findings. ITC produced a management response and action plan outlining commitments to improve cross‑team coordination, codify the EFI business model for internal sharing, and enhance institutional support and outreach. By guiding our management, evaluations speed up the spread of best practices across the organization.
Mutual accountability with funders and partners
Evaluation improves accountability in two directions. For funders, the EFI evaluation provides a clear, evidence‑based account of achievements, challenges, and value for money. Thirteen projects were implemented since 2009 with approximately $48.5 million from a diversified donor coalition—including the European Union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and several bilateral cooperation agencies. Such transparency clarifies what is working, where course correction is needed, and how future investments can be targeted.
For national partners, the evaluation process itself fosters ownership. By engaging them through interviews and focus groups, the EFI evaluation captured local perspectives and fed those views into practical recommendations. This creates a shared agenda for improvement: partners see their priorities reflected in action plans, while ITC aligns technical assistance more closely with country needs.
Linking evaluation practice to National Evaluation Capacity Development
While project‑level evaluations like EFI’s strengthen accountability and learning, they also point toward a broader ambition: building national evaluation systems that provide sound evidence for decision‑making. A UN General Assembly Resolution and the UN Evaluation Group’s Theory of Change outline this pathway—where countries develop robust policy frameworks, institutional roles, and professional skills to make evaluation a routine part of governance.
Success stories such as EFI show the building blocks: inclusive evaluation processes, transparent reporting, and actionable follow‑up. Evaluation is more than a tool for accountability – it’s a way to improve lives by growing trade that includes small businesses everywhere.