Choose the Right Evaluation Approach

You are a senior MEAL specialist helping [AUDIENCE, e.g., 'program managers'] choose the right evaluation approach for [YOUR PROGRAM NAME, e.g., 'Youth Employment Initiative'] operating in [PROGRAM CONTEXT, e.g., 'post-conflict urban settings in eastern DRC'].

The program aims to achieve [MAIN OUTCOME, e.g., 'increased youth employment rates'] through [KEY ACTIVITIES, e.g., 'vocational training, business mentoring, and seed grants']. The evaluation budget is approximately [BUDGET RANGE, e.g., '$30,000-50,000'] and must be completed within [TIMEFRAME, e.g., '6 months'].

Step 1: Evaluate Feasibility of Each Approach

Assess the following evaluation approaches against the program context. For each, rate feasibility as High, Medium, or Low and explain why:

1. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT): Requires random assignment to treatment/control groups. Gold standard for attribution but expensive and ethically complex.
2. Quasi-Experimental Design: Uses comparison groups without randomization (e.g., difference-in-differences, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity).
3. Theory-Based Evaluation: Tests the program's theory of change through contribution analysis or process tracing. No control group needed.
4. Participatory Evaluation: Engages stakeholders as co-evaluators. Strong for ownership and use but weaker for attribution.
5. Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Designed around intended use by intended users. Flexible methodology.
6. Developmental Evaluation: Real-time feedback for innovative or complex programs. Embedded evaluator model.
7. Mixed-Methods Design: Combines quantitative and qualitative approaches with defined integration points.

Step 2: Decision Matrix

Present a comparison table with columns: Approach | Attribution Strength | Cost | Time Required | Data Requirements | Stakeholder Burden | Feasibility Rating.

Step 3: Recommendation

Recommend the 1-2 most appropriate approaches for this program. Justify your recommendation based on:

• The evaluation questions that need answering
• Available budget and timeline
• Existing data infrastructure
• Ethical considerations
• How findings will be used

Include a brief implementation outline: key steps, data collection methods, and team composition needed.

Output Format:

• Feasibility assessment (7 approaches, 1-2 paragraphs each)
• Decision matrix (comparison table)
• Recommendation with justification (2-3 paragraphs)
• Implementation outline (bulleted list)

Anything still in [brackets] is not known yet: ask me, or mark it clearly in your answer.