intelligent measurement

Understanding and use of evaluation – new report

August 9, 2011 at 3:20 pm Leave a comment

Here is an interesting paper from ALNAP looking at how the understanding and use of evaluation in humanitarian action can be improved:

Harnessing the Power of Evaluation in Humanitarian Action: An initiative to improve understanding and use of evaluation (pdf)

The paper sets out a framework for improving the understanding and use of evaluation in four key areas:

Capacity Area 1: Leadership, culture and structure
• Ensure leadership is supportive of evaluation and monitoring
• Promote an evaluation culture
• Increase the internal demand for evaluation information
• Create organisational structures that promote evaluation

Capacity Area 2: Evaluation purpose and policy
• Clarify the purpose of evaluation (accountability, audit, learning)
• Clearly articulate evaluation policy
• Ensure evaluation processes are timely and form an integral part of the decision-making cycle
• Emphasise quality not quantity

Capacity Area 3: Evaluation processes and systems
• Develop a strategic approach to selecting what should be evaluated
• Involve key stakeholders throughout the process
• Use both internal and external personnel to encourage a culture of evaluation
• Improve the technical quality of the evaluation process
• Assign high priority to effective dissemination of findings, including through new media (video, web)
• Ensure there is a management response to evaluations
• Carry out periodic meta-evaluations and evaluation syntheses, and review recommendations

Capacity Area 4: Supporting processes and mechanisms
• Improve monitoring throughout the programme cycle
• Provide the necessary human resources and incentive structures
• Secure adequate financial resources
• Understand and take advantage of the external environment:
– Use peer networks to encourage change
– Engage with media demands for information
– Engage with donors on their evaluation needs

Entry filed under: Evaluation reporting, Evaluation use.