Evaluation Questions

What Are Evaluation Questions?

Evaluation questions are the overarching inquiries that guide an evaluation, usually about three to eight broad questions that define what the evaluation will investigate. They are not the survey questions or interview questions asked to respondents. Instead, evaluation questions sit at the strategic level and determine what data must be collected, how it will be analyzed, and what will ultimately be reported. They often align with donor evaluation criteria like relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability (known as DAC criteria, after the OECD committee that set them; they are the six standard lenses donors use to judge a program).

Why Do Evaluation Questions Matter?

Strong evaluation questions anchor the entire evaluation design. They clarify for the program, donors, and evaluators exactly what the evaluation will answer and, equally important, what it will not address. Without clear evaluation questions, evaluations often become sprawling data collection exercises that consume resources without producing actionable findings. Conversely, questions that are too narrow miss important context; those that are too vague are unanswerable. Good evaluation questions are specific, decision-relevant, and achievable within budget and timeline.

How Are Evaluation Questions Developed in Practice?

Evaluation questions are developed collaboratively in an inception workshop (a planning meeting at the start of the evaluation) bringing together program management, donors, and evaluators. The team starts with the evaluation purpose (what decision does this evaluation inform?), then drafts candidate questions. Good evaluation questions typically use "how" or "what" framing rather than yes/no formats. For example: "How did the capacity-building activities influence the use of data by district health teams?" is stronger than "Did the training work?" Once drafted, questions are reviewed for feasibility and adjusted based on resource constraints. The finalized evaluation questions appear prominently in the Terms of Reference (the written brief that tells evaluators what to do) and form the structure of the final evaluation report. Working alone with no external evaluator or workshop? Skip the meeting: write three to five questions yourself, and check them against the table below.

What Does a Usable Evaluation Question Look Like?

A usable question names what is being asked about, where and over what period, so an evaluator can design a method around it. A vague question gives the evaluator permission to answer whatever they like. Keep the list short and prioritized, and tag each question with the criterion it serves.

Take Healthy Futures, a fictional child nutrition program in Kasenda District.

Before: "Assess the effectiveness of the program."

After (Effectiveness): "What evidence exists of early outcome-level changes in caregiver knowledge, complementary feeding practices and children's nutritional status in the 15 target communities since the program began?"

Outcome-level means changes in what people know and do and in children's health, not only what the program delivered. Complementary feeding means the foods a child eats alongside breast milk. The second version tells the evaluator which changes to look for and where, so the method can follow from the question.

Word each question neutrally. "How much did the program improve feeding practices?" assumes an improvement; "What changes, if any, occurred in feeding practices?" does not.

Quick Feasibility Check for Each Question

Copy this table and fill it in for every draft question. A question with a blank row needs rewording or a smaller scope.