Evaluators are often called upon to assess the effects of programs. To assess a program effect, evaluators need a clear understanding of how a program effect is defined. Arguably, the most widely used definition of a program effect is the counterfactual one. According to the counterfactual definition, a program effect is the difference between…

Quality Assessment Frameworks (QAFs) are standardized templates that include pre-defined criteria, open questions, or a combination to assess the quality of evaluations. They support organizations to limit risks associated with poor-quality evaluation. Qualitative research focused on four QAFs shows that five dimensions of quality are assessed…

The terms "outcome" and "impact" are ubiquitous in evaluation discourse. However, there are many competing definitions that lack clarity and consistency and sometimes represent fundamentally different meanings. This leads to profound confusion, undermines efforts to improve learning and accountability, and represents a…

The continuously growing demand for program results has produced an increased need for evaluation capacity building (ECB). The "Integrative ECB Model" was developed to integrate concepts from existing ECB theory literature and to structure a synthesis of the empirical ECB literature. The study used a broad-based research synthesis method with…

Summarizes the points made by M. Scriven and adds some evaluative comments by the present author. Scriven's notion of minimalist evaluation is given a strong "thumbs-up," but his definition of evaluation receives a "thumbs-down" for not standing up to close scrutiny. The checklist methodology Scriven proposes is endorsed enthusiastically. (SLD)

Outlines a few items of "unfinished business" in the profession of evaluation, focusing on outcome evaluation, also called impact evaluation. No issue related to the future of evaluation seems more important than that of finding routine methods to assess the impact of everyday practical programs on the social conditions they address.…