WHO normative function at the country level: evaluation report

Overview

This evaluation report examines WHO’s normative function at country level, focusing on how global normative products are developed, disseminated, adapted and used in national contexts, and how they contribute to health outcomes and health system strengthening. Building on the 2017 evaluation of WHO’s normative function, the report assesses WHO’s normative role from a country perspective in line with the Organization’s emphasis on placing countries at the centre of its work. Using a theory-based and outcome-harvesting approach, the evaluation analyzed six selected normative products and conducted case studies in Ethiopia, Jordan, Maldives, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda and Uganda, involving consultations with WHO staff, government counterparts, health workers, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.

The report finds that WHO normative products are widely recognized as credible, evidence-based and relevant to country needs, and that they support policy adaptation, technical capacity-building and improvements in health programmes and services. At the same time, it identifies challenges related to prioritization processes, limited involvement of country offices in product development, insufficient implementation guidance, weak monitoring systems and inadequate integration of normative work into country planning and budgeting. The evaluation highlights the need to strengthen feedback mechanisms, implementation support, resource allocation, country-level monitoring and the integration of gender equality, health equity and human rights considerations into WHO normative work.