What is Evaluation?

The first thing to point out is…..

Evaluation is the subjective interpretation of data collected during the monitoring of a project.

That means that different audiences may assign different value to the same information.

So what is monitoring Monitoring refers to collecting data during the life of a project. This data is subsequently used to make a value judgement, or evaluation of the project’s worth.

Evaluation is also about learning…. What works and what doesn’t!

Could the funds have been better spent? …. And accountability Could the funds have been better spent?

Wading through evaluation jargon……

Efficiency Effectiveness Relates to how economically activities were undertaken Effectiveness The extent to which a project meets its intended outputs

Activities The tasks that are required to be done in order to achieve the outputs (eg. run a workshop, conduct and audit) Outputs Products or services delivered as part of the project’s activities (eg. workshops, audits, brochures)

Outcomes Measures the change in behaviour or resource use in relation to goal of the project. Outcomes are usually considered in terms of their expected timeframe: Short–term (or immediate) Intermediate Long-term

Impact Refers to the measures of change that result from the outputs being completed, such as responses to surveys, requests for further information, or number of products taken up (eg. lights installed) Impact is sometimes used in place of short-term outcomes

Evaluation can happen at any time Evaluation is not just something that happens at the end of a project That would be SUMMATIVE evaluation That would be FORMATIVE evaluation It can also happen before it starts, and during the project’s life

Participatory Evaluation Refers to getting all project stakeholders, particularly the target group, involved in a project evaluation For more information, a ‘SHORT GUIDE TO MONITORING AND EVALUATION’ can be downloaded from the toolbox.

It is now time to explore the evaluation toolbox