What is Project Evaluation?

• Describe your Project
• Track Outputs
• Assess Outcomes
• Communicate Results
• Other Evaluation Resources

Project Evaluation is a step-by-step process of collecting, recording and organizing information about project results, including short-term outputs (immediate results of activities, or project deliverables), and immediate and longer-term project outcomes (changes in behaviour, practice or policy resulting from the project).  

Common rationales for conducting an evaluation are:

• response to demands for accountability;
• demonstration of effective, efficient and equitable use of financial and other resources;
• recognition of actual changes and progress made;
• identification of success factors, need for improvement or where expected outcomes are unrealistic;
• validation for project staff and partners that desired outcomes are being achieved.

The project planning stage is the best time to identify desired outcomes and how they will be measured. This will guide future planning, as well as ensure that the data required to measure success is available when the time comes to evaluate the project.

Why is Project Evaluation important?

Evaluating project results is helpful in providing answers to key questions like:  

• What progress has been made?
• Were the desired outcomes achieved?  Why?
• Are there ways that project activities can be refined to achieve better outcomes?
• Do the project results justify the project inputs? 

What are the Challenges in Monitoring and Evaluation?

• getting the commitment to do it;
• establishing base lines at the beginning of the project;
• identifying realistic quantitative and qualitative indicators;
• finding the time to do it and sticking to it;
• getting feedback from your stakeholders;
• reporting back to your stakeholders.

Are you ready for Project Evaluation? 

• Learn about building organizational commitment to evaluation before you read on.

• Assessing outcomes can be expensive if you choose a highly technical approach.  Plan assessment activities that fit realistically within your budget.  Before the plans are finalized, develop a careful estimate of the cost of each evaluation activity.  Consider this a project-related investment, not an administrative cost.  Use the budget estimate worksheet as a guide for formulating your budget.

• Evaluation work may be beyond the ability of your staff or volunteer group, whether due to expertise or time constraints.  Hiring a consultant might be the most efficient and cost-effective option for your group.  Find out what to consider when hiring a consultant.

This Toolkit contains various links and tools that can be used to track and evaluate progress.  The process of project evaluation starts with describing your project.