► The Division is implicated in the evaluation process on several levels :

• In the past, the Division organised the evaluation of its research units : it chose the commission members and addressed a letter to the members indicating their mission. Since the AERES was created (the national agency for research evaluation), the Division's role is less important. However, it still suggests possible experts and furnishes a description of INRA's missions. At the end of the evaluation, a debate is organised by the scientific council and then it gives its opinion on the unit's future to the Direction of the INRA.
• The scientists in the Division undergo a specific evaluation by a specialised scientific council. Since 2007, this council covers both animal and plant genetics.
• The engineers are evaluated individually by a specific commission, according to their profession.
• The Division was itself evaluated from 18 to 20 April 2005 by an international commission made up of 12 experts. It will again be evaluated in 2009.

► Division Evaluation

The objective is to estimate the quality of the Division's work, to verify the pertinence of its project in relation to the social-economic context and to evaluate the added-value of its structure in relation to its research units. 

The evaluation is led by the Board of Directors in relation with the Scientific Council.  The Scientific Council, on behalf of the Direction of INRA, validates the commission's conclusions.

Upon the presentation by the Direction of the projects for both the letters of mission and commission members, the Scientific Council ensures that the evaluation procedure is followed (pertinent commission nominations and missions) and organises a constructive debate. They decide when the evaluation will be held, who will be on  the commission (quality and representativity of the members), what indicators will be retained and the schedule of events.

The Scientific Council guarantees the conclusions and transmits them to the Direction of INRA via a report written by the commission's president, which includes the Division's and Direction's replies. The council  deliberates on the following points : how the evaluation went and whether the procedure was followed ; the quality of the information brought forth by the commission's report and perspectives announced by the conclusions ; the pertinence of the replies as compared to the commission's recommendations.