In a recent blog, Caroline Heider, Director General and Senior Vice President on Evaluation of the World Bank Group, argued that evaluation should play a greater role in the work of parliamentarians. Why? As parliamentarians, you engage with the World Bank Group. You play an important role debating and passing your countries’ policies and legislation. You hold governments to account. And, crucially, you are accountable to the constituencies who voted you into office.

In all of these functions, informed discussions – and informed decisions – require evidence: what has worked in the past, what hasn’t and why? It is providing just such evidence that is at the heart of evaluation. This is not to say that evidence from evaluation is the only piece of information that should drive decisions; but it can, I believe, help to identify predictable risks, prevent avoidable mistakes and ultimately, produce better results.