African Development Bank appoints evaluator general

Source :Supplied

Rot-Münstermann, a Dutch citizen, is currently the acting evaluator general and division manager: knowledge management, outreach and capacity development in the Independent Development Evaluation Department (BDEV).

Before joining the Bank in 2009, Rot-Münstermann was a senior policy advisor at the Dutch Ministry of Finance (Treasury, Foreign Financial Relations Department). As desk officer for the African Development Bank, she contributed to various initiatives that led to a 13% increase in the Dutch shareholding in the Bank in 2005, as well as a 54% increase in the Dutch contribution to the African Development Fund’s 11th replenishment.

At the Ministry of Finance, she worked on a wide range of issues, including international development, multilateral development bank governance and financing, debt and debt sustainability, and contributed to the definition and presentation of Dutch government policy in these areas.

Rot-Münstermann joined the Bank in February 2009 in the Resource Mobilisation Department, which is responsible for the three-yearly replenishment process of the African Development Fund (ADF) and the allocation of ADF resources to African countries. In June 2014, she was appointed as division manager of the Knowledge Management, Outreach and Capacity Development division, where she established a new identity for the independent evaluation function, which changed its name from Operations Evaluation Department to Independent Development Evaluation.

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Rot-Münstermann then served as acting evaluator general from September 2018 to August 2019, and from November 2020 to date.

As acting evaluator general, she has presented more than 35 evaluations to the Bank’s Board of Directors, including the very complex and time-sensitive evaluation of the implementation of the Bank’s development and business delivery model (requested by the Board of Governors), the three-part evaluation of quality assurance across the African Development Bank project cycle, the evaluation of program-based operations, and the evaluation of mainstreaming green growth and climate change into the Bank’s interventions.

She also led the development of the 2019-2021 and the 2022-2024 independent evaluation work programme, ensuring that evaluations are well-aligned to the Bank’s strategic priorities. Furthermore, she has been actively involved in high-level discussions, representing the Bank both internally and externally, and promoting its visibility.

Network of international connections

With more than 20 years of experience in international relations and development, Rot-Münstermann has built a strong network for the independent development evaluation function, reaching out to members of the Board of Directors and senior management of the Bank and the evaluation departments of sister multilateral financial institutions and other members of the international evaluation community.

She has a track record of managing constructive working relationships, high-level dialogue, and smooth co-ordination with Bank staff and management, representatives of donor countries, as well as other stakeholders on a wide range of policies, activities, and issues related to the African Development Fund and the Bank’s operations.

Commenting on her appointment, Rot-Münstermann said: “I am grateful for the confidence placed in me both by the president of the Bank, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, and the Board of Directors. I will work effectively with the president, the Board of Directors, senior management and staff of the Bank, and our shareholders, to ensure that the independent development evaluation function enhances accountability, promotes learning and informs the formulation of new directions, policies and procedures for the Bank.”

Commenting on her appointment, the president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “Karen has a good understanding of the mandate of independent development evaluation, having served the institution for more than 10 years in various capacities. Her broad experience and knowledge of the Bank and its operations, will enable her to build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders of the Bank, and effectively deliver the mandate of the evaluator general in the best interest of the Bank.”

Rot-Münstermann holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands; a Master of Arts in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium; and a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.