Evaluation is an assessment, as systematic and impartial as possible, of an activity, project, programme, strategy, policy, topic, theme, sector, operational area, or institutional performance. It analyses the level of achievement of both expected and unexpected results by examining the results chain, processes, contextual factors and causality using appropriate criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. This definition of evaluation further states that evaluation “should provide credible, useful evidence-based information that enables the timely incorporation of its findings, recommendations and lessons into the decision-making processes of the organizations and stakeholders”
The best way to ensure an evaluation is credible, reliable and useful is to ensure that it meets high quality and professional standards. The main principles of good evaluation practice are:
- Independent and impartial: evaluation processes need to be separated from policymaking, implementation and management of the intervention. It has to be without undue influence by any party. Independent evaluation assesses, as objectively as humanly possible, the success and failure of policies and interventions, and reports critical findings without fear of repercussion. Why is independence so important? The simple answer is trust. Independence is necessary for credibility, influences the ways in which an evaluation is used and allows evaluators to be impartial and free from undue pressure throughout the evaluation process.
- Independent evaluation team: Evaluators must have the full freedom to conduct their evaluative work impartially, without the risk of negative effects on their career development, and must be able to freely express their assessment. How and independent evaluation team should be:
- External of the organization being evaluated and with no conflicts of interest
- Geographically diverse: professionals around the world outside of the country where the institution is being evaluated.
- Gender balanced
- Half members with extensive expertise in evaluation and the other half with expertise in the substantive topic to be evaluated.
- Recruited on a competitive and transparent basis
- Transparent, participatory and inclusive: evaluations need to be conducted in an open, respectful and consultative manner creating spaces for all relevant stakeholders, including those in a more disadvantaged position, to engage directly in the evaluation and take ownership of the evaluation process.
- Robust in methodological approach: evaluations need to be conducted in a systematic manner, using sound approaches and methods.
- Utilization focused: there needs to be clear intent about the purpose and use of findings to improve the organization’s work.
- Ethically conducted: evaluations need to be carried out according to professional and ethical guidelines and codes of conduct
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