Planning for cost effective evaluation with evaluability assessment

The purpose of this paper is to explain the steps involved in conducting an evaluability assessment.

The discussion assumes that at least some members of the evaluation team will conduct a site visit, since face-to-face interviews and observations are usually needed to verify the causal model and assess logistical issues. Before any site visits, however, the evaluation team should “do its homework” by reviewing program documents and conducting a few telephone interviews.

These preliminary tasks will not only make the site visit more productive, but it may also save time and money by revealing program features that make a full impact assessment infeasible. For example, initial investigation may reveal that the program is scheduled to end before it would even be possible to design and implement an impact assessment.