The International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) was inaugurated in September 2002 to help fill a gap in the international evaluation architecture.

IDEAS' mission is 'to advance and extend the practice of development evaluation by refining methods, strengthening capacity and expanding ownership', with a particular focus on developing and transitional economies.

IDEAS focuses on three major themes:

Enhancing Conceptual Thinking in Development Evaluation
Governance and Accountability for Development
Strengthening Development Evaluation Practice
IDEAS' strategy aims to promote and advance evaluation as a key tool for development effectiveness, transparency and accountability in policy-making, social and organisational learning.