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. **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.