Increasing need for establishing critical mass of evaluators led Slovenian Evaluation Society to propose establishing Western Balkan Evaluation Network (WBEN) to Evaluation Society in B&H in 2012. Today WBEN involves founding members also from Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia.

By now WBEN enriched cooperation between members with infrastructure consisting of some basic elements. They opened web based regional forum, a newsletter, e-mailing list, and web page. Coordinative body has been established of national representatives that meet regularly, they adopted networks mission, vision, and work plan for 2014-2015. Regional members have already accomplished several joint projects, shared activities and new initiatives are launched for cooperation in future, depending on available resources.

WBEN organised its first conference in October 2015 as an important milestone toward achievement of their strategic goals to enhance new evaluative culture and professionalization of evaluation in region. This conference is one of 70 registered global events that are marking ‘Year of Evaluation’ as declared by global evaluation community represented by the EvalPartners and United Nations. 

Conference proposed a joint statement (please see attached) to be addressed to national and regional stakeholders about importance of strengthening national evaluation capacities in Western Balkan region.