Development Cooperation Handbook/Definitions/Evaluation

An assessment, as systematic and objective as possible, of an on-going or completed project, programme or policy, its design, implementation and results. The aim is to determine the rele-vance and the fulfilment of objectives, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.

Evaluation may be of different kind according to:

its timing: prior to action (ex ante ), during it (mid-term), or after completion (ex post).
its doer: the ones involved in the performed action itself (self or in-ternal) or an external body or consultant (external), or a combination of both.
its focus: on accountability (summative) or on learning, improving performance (formative).
its trigger: evaluation defined, carried out by entities and persons free of the control of those responsible for the design and the implementation of the action (independent), or by entities involved in its management or its steering.

additional features:

its driver: led by donor or partner (donor-led, partner led), by sev-eral authorities, donors (joint), along with stakeholders (participa-tory).
its reach: when limited to one’s performed activities (self)

See also