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  1. M&E Library
  2. Topics
  3. Evaluation

Evaluation

Everything you need to design, commission, or manage an evaluation. From choosing the right type to writing a TOR to selecting methods and analyzing findings.

How Do I Choose?

Baseline vs Endline vs Midline Surveys ExplainedWhen you need baseline, midline, and endline surveys, what they collect, and what to do when you missed your baseline.How Much Should You Budget for M&E?The 5-10% rule explained, evaluation cost ranges by type, budget breakdown templates, and how to negotiate when the M&E budget is too small for what the donor is asking.How to Choose an Evaluation Methodology: Matching Design to Question and BudgetA decision framework for choosing evaluation design. Covers experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental approaches.How to Choose Sample Size for M&E: The Five Factors, with Worked ExamplesA practical guide to sample size for program evaluations, with rules of thumb, worked examples, and budget-statistics tradeoffs.How to Write Donor Reports That Actually Get ReadHow to write donor reports that get read. Indicator tables, narrative structure, explaining underperformance, and what donors actually look for.How to Write Evaluation Terms of Reference: The 8 Sections, with a ChecklistA practical guide to writing evaluation TORs that get you a good evaluation. Scoping, evaluation questions, methodology expectations, timelines, budgets, and evaluator selection.Output vs Outcome vs Impact: The Key DifferenceThe most common confusion in M&E. Learn the difference between outputs, outcomes, and impact with clear examples from health, education, and food security programs.Qualitative vs Quantitative vs Mixed MethodsQualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods are not a quality ranking. They answer different questions. Here's when to use each, how to combine them, and what integration actually looks like.Surveys vs Interviews vs Focus GroupsThe three most common M&E data collection methods, compared. Surveys tell you how many, interviews tell you why, focus groups tell you what people agree on.RCT vs Quasi-Experimental DesignWhen to use a randomized controlled trial vs a quasi-experimental design. Feasibility, cost, rigor, and what each can actually tell you about your program's impact.Which DAC Criteria to Use: Choosing and Writing Evaluation QuestionsThe DAC criteria are a menu, not a checklist. How to choose which of the six to prioritize by evaluation purpose and timing, how to write sharp questions for each, and when humanitarian evaluations should use the ALNAP criteria instead.

In-Depth Guides (10)

Contribution Analysis: Building a Credible Case Without a Control GroupA structured approach to building a credible case for how and why a program contributed to observed outcomes, without requiring experimental attribution.Developmental EvaluationAn evaluation approach designed for complex, adaptive programs in which goals and processes are emergent, and the evaluator works alongside the program team as an embedded learning partner.Impact EvaluationA rigorous evaluation approach that measures the causal effect of a program on outcomes by comparing what happened with what would have happened in its absence.Most Significant ChangeA participatory qualitative monitoring approach that systematically collects and selects stories of change to identify and share the most significant outcomes of a program.Outcome Harvesting: Working Backward from Observed OutcomesA retrospective evaluation approach that identifies, verifies, and analyses outcomes that have occurred, then determines whether and how the program contributed to them.Participatory EvaluationAn evaluation approach that actively involves stakeholders and beneficiaries throughout all stages, from design through use of findings, ensuring local ownership and relevance.Process TracingA within-case method for causal inference that tests whether the causal mechanisms predicted by a theory of change actually operated in a specific case, using systematic evidence to evaluate causal claims.Quasi-Experimental DesignA family of evaluation designs that estimate causal program effects without random assignment, using statistical methods to construct credible comparison groups.Realist EvaluationAn evaluation approach that asks what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why, by identifying the mechanisms through which programs produce outcomes in specific contexts.Utilization-Focused EvaluationAn evaluation approach where every design decision is driven by the needs of the primary intended users, the specific people who will actually use the findings to make specific decisions.

Overviews (6)

Cost-Effectiveness AnalysisA systematic approach to comparing the costs and outcomes of alternative interventions to identify which delivers the best value for money in achieving specific objectives.Evaluation Matrix: Linking Each Question to Its Data Sources and MethodsA structured mapping document that links each evaluation question to its data sources, collection methods, indicators, and analysis approach, the operational blueprint for executing an evaluation.Evaluation Terms of ReferenceA formal document that defines the scope, objectives, methodology, and requirements for an evaluation, serving as the primary contract between the commissioning organization and the evaluation team.Mixed Methods EvaluationAn evaluation approach that systematically combines quantitative and qualitative data to provide a more complete understanding of program effects, mechanisms, and context.OECD DAC Evaluation Criteria: Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, SustainabilityThe OECD-DAC framework provides six standard criteria, relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, for systematically assessing the merit and value of development interventions.Rubric-Based AssessmentA structured evaluation approach using predefined criteria and performance levels to systematically assess programs, projects, or interventions against established standards.

Quick Reference (17)

Accountability EvaluationAudit vs EvaluationCompliance EvaluationEvaluation QuestionsEvaluation Report: What It Is and What to IncludeEx-Ante vs Ex-Post Evaluation: Meaning and Key DifferencesFormative vs Summative EvaluationInception Report: What It Is and What to IncludeManagement Response to an Evaluation: What It Is and What to IncludeMeta-EvaluationMid-Term Review (MTR): What It Is and What to IncludePerformance EvaluationProcess Evaluation: What It Is and How to Conduct OneReal-Time Evaluation: Feeding Findings Back During ImplementationScope of Work (SOW): What It Is and What to IncludeSustainability EvaluationSystematic Review

AI Guides

How to Draft Evaluation Reports with AIStop staring at a blank page. A 4-phase workflow turns your completed analysis into donor-ready evaluation narrative in hours, not days.How to Use AI for Baseline and Endline AnalysisComparing baseline and endline data is the backbone of impact measurement. AI can run the comparisons, flag anomalies, and draft the narrative, but only if you structure the analysis around specific evaluation questions.

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