Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS)
The UNICEF evaluation quality-assessment system.
The Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS) is an organization-wide system that aims to support strengthening of the Evaluation Function to meet and exceed United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) norms and standards, the UN System-Wide Action Plan on gender equality (UN-SWAP), and other UNICEF commitments (including equity and human-rights based approaches).
The GEROS is managed by the Evaluation Office. The main objectives of GEROS (revised in 2016) are:
- Objective 1: Enabling environment for senior managers and Executive Board to make informed decisions based on a clear understanding of the quality of evaluation evidence and usefulness of evaluation reports
- Objective 2: Feedback leads to stronger evaluation capacity of UNICEF and partners
- Objective 3: UNICEF and partners are more knowledgeable about what works, where and for whom.
All final evaluations are assessed by an external independent company. For additional information, please download the GEROS Guidance Handbook (2025).
Once the reports are assessed, detailed feedback on how to improve future evaluations is sent to the office that commissioned the evaluation.
Meta‑evaluation reports are produced annually by an external, independent company and are then disseminated and used to strengthen the UNICEF Evaluation Function.
GEROS Meta evaluation
UNICEF’s 2024 evaluation portfolio demonstrates continued progress in strengthening the quality, inclusiveness, and strategic value of its evidence base. A total of 127 evaluations were independently reviewed through the Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS), confirming that 83% met or exceeded UNICEF quality standards, with no evaluations rated Unsatisfactory for the eighth consecutive year. While overall quality remains stable, top-tier performance is still limited, underscoring the need for more consistently robust methodologies, stronger findings, and clearer integration of evaluation principles.
The UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2023 offers a global synthesis of 147 evaluation reports reviewed under the Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS) between January and December 2023.
The UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2022 provides a comprehensive review of 176 evaluation reports completed between February 2022 and January 2023 under the Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS).
The UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2021 provides an independent review of the quality, coverage, and trends of UNICEF evaluations conducted in 2021 under the Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS). The analysis covers 154 evaluation reports—the largest portfolio since GEROS inception.
The UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2020 presents an independent review of 140 UNICEF evaluation reports conducted in 2020 through the Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS).
UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2016-2018: An Independent Review of UNICEF Evaluation Report Quality and Selected Trends from 2016-2018.
UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2017. An independent review of UNICEF evaluation report quality and selected trends in 2017.
UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2016: An independent review of UNICEF evaluation report quality and selected trends, 2009-2016.
UNICEF GEROS Meta-Analysis 2015: An independent review of UNICEF evaluation report quality and trends, 2009-2015.
GEROS – Global Meta-Evaluation Final Report
GEROS – Global Meta-Evaluation Report 2014 - Final Report: Quality Review of 2013 Evaluation Reports.
Global Evaluation Report Oversight System (GEROS) Global Meta-Evaluation Report of 2012 Evaluation Reports.
UNICEF Global Evaluation Report Oversight System (GEROS) 2012: Quality Review of 2011 Evaluation Reports.
UNICEF Global Evaluation Report Oversight System (GEROS): Quality Review of 2010 Evaluation Reports - Final Report.
UNICEF Global Evaluation Report Oversight System (GEROS): Quality Review of Evaluation Reports 2009.
If you have any questions or would like to know about GEROS, please contact us at [email protected].
