Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is gaining ground in evaluation circles, but the number of applications is still limited. In this article, we consider the challenges that can emerge during a QCA evaluation by drawing on our experience of conducting one in the field of development cooperation. For each stage of the evaluation process, we…

Purpose: Participatory extension programmes are widely used to promote change in the agricultural sector, and an important question is how best to measure the effectiveness of such programmes after implementation. This study seeks to understand the current state of practice through a review of ex post evaluations of participatory extension…

This article describes the development and use of a rapid evaluation approach to meet program accountability and learning requirements in a research for development program operating in five developing countries. The method identifies clusters of outcomes, both expected and unexpected, happening within areas of change. In a workshop, change agents…

The author is increasingly sensitive to the Venn diagram of overlapping expertise in which program evaluation intersects a content area such as public health, urban education, or--in the case of Katherine Hay--international development. Many evaluators practice in these areas of overlap, experts in the evaluation of a specific domain. Given her…

Although a great deal of time, resources and effort goes into the education of potential or existing entrepreneurs, our knowledge of the effects of this education is still rather limited. It can be argued that an imbalance exists between the substantial amount of finance and manpower invested in entrepreneurship education programmes and the very…

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) works with low-income countries around the world to help them provide basic education of good quality to all of their children. Countries develop education sector plans that set clear targets and commitments; their partners including donors, multilateral agencies, civil society and the private sector…

At the time of writing, it is not possible to measure progress accurately, or even assess the baseline status of aid effectiveness in the education sector. Twelve targets en route to the five objectives of the Paris Declaration were set and agreed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); they were to be measured…

The purpose of this article is to extend the discussion of issues currently being debated on the need for more rigorous program evaluation in educational and other sectors of research, to the field of international development evaluation, reviewing the different approaches which can be adopted to rigorous evaluation methodology and their…

Identifies key factors that should be considered by those engaged in the evaluation of overseas development projects to ensure that the evaluation process leads to the empowerment of local stakeholders. A literature review resulted in the development of seven guidelines for evaluation of overseas development projects. (SLD)

Evaluations of the Botswana National Literacy Program (BNLP) are reviewed, with emphasis on one internal and one external evaluation. The BNLP may be one of the most extensively evaluated national literacy programs ever conducted, with a program staff intensively trained in evaluation. One lesson of the repeated evaluations of the BNLP is that a…

This article outlines the Results-Based Evaluation (RBE) framework proposed for the ex-post assessment of the National Environmental Management Strategies (NEMS) in 12 small-island developing states (SIDS) in the South Pacific. It gives an overview of the methods and basis of developing an evaluation framework in the context of SIDS in the region.…

An evaluation strategy in which a set of process indicators is applied to programs to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries is presented. The four-stage strategy is illustrated for three interventions: (1) providing safe abortion services; (2) increasing knowledge of obstetric complications; and (3) improving medical care quality. (SLD)

This report provides an overview of methods of evaluating the impact of family planning programs in developing countries, with a discussion of their strengths and weaknesses. The focus is on estimation of program impact on fertility rates, though other potential outcome measures, such as maternal and child health, are also discussed. The first…

The relevance of the stakeholder approach to evaluations of development assistance programs is examined. Ways in which the methodology can be useful in fostering interest in evaluation outcomes and in increasing the probability that evaluative recommendations will be implemented are discussed. (SLD)