Getting there together: A synthesis of inter-agency programme evaluations on SDG 5

In partnership with the evaluation offices of UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP, UN Women led a synthesis of 68 inter-agency joint programme evaluations on Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5, gender equality). This synthesis is a companion to “Are we getting there? A synthesis of UN system evaluations of SDG 5”, which was conducted in 2023.

This new synthesis found that joint programmes enabled holistic and integrated approaches to address complex and multidimensional gender equality issues and increased the visibility of gender issues on national and global agendas. Joint work helped forge new partnerships and brought diverse actors together, including civil society.

Despite higher transaction costs and coordination challenges, joint work enabled effective collaboration across sectors. Breaking silos and fostering synergies between outcome areas, workstreams, and activities remained a challenge, and government and civil society partners were sometimes overwhelmed by the demands of engaging with more than one UN agency.

Joint work requires intentionality and a clear purpose, defined roles and responsibilities, and strong approaches to identifying and integrating key populations.

Collectively, the results from both syntheses are intended to serve as a catalyst for action by providing policymakers, programme implementers, donors, and UN entities with a series of implications to guide next steps and the evidence needed to advance their work to accelerate progress on SDG 5.