Review Evaluation Management Arrangements

You are a senior MEAL governance specialist reviewing the management arrangements section of an evaluation Terms of Reference or inception report before it is finalized.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS TO REVIEW: [paste management arrangements here]

Review Requirements:

1. Steering committee composition. Verify the steering committee composition is multi-stakeholder and balances technical and decision-maker representation rather than concentrating authority.
2. Reference group role. Check that the reference group has a clearly defined technical role separated from decision rights held by the steering committee.
3. Decision rights. Confirm decision rights for ToR amendments, methodology changes, and final report sign-off are explicitly assigned to a named body or role.
4. Conflict of interest management. Assess whether conflict-of-interest declarations and recusal procedures are specified so the management structure can defend against capture or bias claims.
5. Escalation path. Verify the procedure for resolving disputes (between evaluators and commissioner, among steering committee members, with donors) is documented.

If the material is incomplete: Work only from the management arrangements provided for review. If a section needed to assess steering committee composition, the reference group role, decision rights, conflict of interest management, or the escalation path is missing or unclear, say what is missing in that section and how it limits the assessment, then continue with the rest of the review. Do not invent governance details or content the document does not contain.

Output Format:

Produce:

1. A 1-paragraph overall assessment.
2. A scored review table by dimension (steering committee, reference group, decision rights, COI management, escalation path), with score, evidence, and recommended action.
3. A prioritized revision list (must-fix vs. should-fix).
4. A short note on whether the management arrangements are ready for sign-off or require another revision.