USAID
  Evaluation vs. monitoring or assessment
  Types of evaluations
 OECD/DAC
 Other Key Terms in Evaluations
 DANIDA

USAID

"An evaluation is a relatively structured, analytical effort undertaken to answer specific program management questions regarding USAID-funded assistance programs or activities." (ADS 200.6.2/p 38)

An evaluation provides a systematic way to assess program performance and impact. Program impact is really looking at the question, to what extent have the intermediate results lead to achievement of the strategic objective? Program performance includes:

• effectiveness—to what extent were the intermediate results achieved (such as increased agricultural yields by poor farmers);
  
• efficiency—are there ways to achieve the results for less cost or in less time;
  
• sustainability—have the institutions, finances, and personnel requisite for the continued success of the activities been established; and
• replicability—to what extent are the circumstances surrounding the intermediate results typical.

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OECD/DAC

An evaluation is an assessment, as systematic and objective as possible, of ongoing or completed aid activities, their design, implementation and results. The aim is to determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.

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DANIDA Evaluation Guidelines

In general terms evaluation is used in society at large to establish achievements with some accuracy. All major donor agencies involved in international development assistance undertake formal evaluations of part of their development activities each year. OECD, through its Development Assistance Committee (DAC), has recommended the definition quoted below for its member countries. This definition has been adopted by all major donor agencies, including Danida.

"An evaluation is an assessment, as systematic and objective as possible, of ongoing or completed aid activities, their design, implementation and results. The aim is to determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability."

Danida makes the distinction between "evaluation" and "review". The former is an inquiry that will be available to the public, while the latter is an internal, periodic assessment.

Danida reserves the term "evaluation" for retrospective studies of what has happened and why. Some agencies also use the term evaluation for prospective studies conducted prior to a project's approval. Such studies are termed "appraisals" by Danida.

Evaluations are carried out at different stages. evaluations of ongoing development activities are called interim evaluations, and usually take place midterm in the implementation period or at the end of a distinct phase.

Interim evaluations will typically focus on operational activities, but will also take a wider perspective and possibly give some consideration to longterm effects. Interim evaluations should not be confused with Reviews.

End evaluations aim to establish the situation when external aid is terminated and to identify the possible need for followup activities either by Danida or the partner country.

Ex post evaluations are carried out two to five years after external support is terminated. The main purpose is to assess what lasting impact it has had or is likely to have and to extract lessons of experience.

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What's the Difference between Evaluation, Performance Monitoring, and Assessment?

For more formal definitions, consider the following from TIPS #11:

Performance monitoring systems track and alert management as to whether actual results are being achieved as planned. They are built around a hierarchy of objectives logically linking USAID activities and resources to intermediate results and strategic objectives through cause-and-effect relationships. For each objective, one or more indicators are selected to measure performance against explicit targets (planned results to be achieved by specific dates). Performance monitoring is an ongoing, routine effort requiring data gathering, analysis, and reporting on results at periodic intervals.

Evaluations are systematic analytical efforts that ask why certain results are being achieved. They are planned and conducted in response to specific management questions about performance of USAID-funded development assistance programs or activities. Unlike performance monitoring, which is ongoing, evaluations are occasional-conducted when needed. Evaluations not only focus on why results are or are not being achieved, they may also address issues such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, or sustainability. Often evaluations provide management with lessons and recommendations for adjustments in program strategies or activities.

Assessments are quick, low cost methods of gathering data systematically in support of manager's information needs, especially questions about performance. They fall on a continuum between very informal methods, such as casual conversations or unstructured site visits, and highly formal methods such as censuses, surveys, or experiments. While informal methods are cheap and quick, they may not be as credible with decision-makers as the more formal, rigorous methods. Whereas formal methods have high reliability, validity, and credibility, they typically are expensive and time consuming and require extensive technical skills. Between these two lie rapid appraisal methods. Being neither very informal nor fully formal, they share the properties of both. Some of the most popular rapid appraisal methods include key informant interviews, focus groups, community interviews, direct observation, and minisurveys.

Types Of Evaluations