The main actors are the government institutions and agencies responsible for French cooperation and the relevant interministerial consultative structures. While policy formulation and decisions are strictly the responsibility of the Government, many outside actors are involved at a more technical level. As far as the evaluation function is concerned, generally speaking, a systematic and independent evaluation structure would seem to be lacking, although all institutions for development cooperation in principle have an evaluation procedure for ODA-funded operations. Evaluation and programming units are often part of the internal audit or statistical function. Procedures for feedback and coordination of evaluation activities will have to be developed.
Some institutions have an evaluation or programming unit, that has input into policy formulation.
Since 1989 the Ministry of Cooperation and Development for instance has had a Studies, Evaluation and Prospective Analysis Mission that plans policy on the basis of its reviews of French assistance to 'du champ' countries. Summaries of the findings are for government use only. Since foreign policy, including aid, is a 'shared' concern, coordination of development cooperation policy ultimately rests with the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. They play a discrete but important and, if necessary, arbitrating role. It has apparently met infrequently.