A 10-Step Process for Independent External Evaluation.pdf

A summary of steps for planning and conducting independent evaluation of projects

1. INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL
EVALUATION PROCESS
Presenter: Dan Adipo
MEAL Weekly Talks
African MEL Capacity Development Organization (AMELCADO)
31
st
March 2022

2. A 10-STEP INDEPENDENT EVALUATION PROCESS
(OVERVIEW)
Identify
need
TOR
Recruit
Onboard
Inception
Data
Collection
Data
Analysis &
Reporting
Learning
workshop
Final
Deliverables
Utilization

3. STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE NEED
•Is it the right time to evaluate? Is the project
ready?
•Conduct an evaluability assessment,
“Systematic process that helps identify
whether program evaluation is justified,
feasible, and likely to provide useful
information.”(Kaufman-Levy et al., 2003)
•Who is commissioning and why?
•Was it planned?
-Mid term/end line? What does the grant
agreement say? Are there funds?

4. STEP 2: DEVELOP A TOR
•Introduction of the Organization
•Background of the program
•Evaluation questions & objectives
-Learning, Accountability & Decision-
making
•Proposed methodology
•Deliverables
•Timeline
•Specify requirements: format & length of
proposal, how will you assess consultants,
team versus individuals

5. STEP 3: RECRUIT EVALUATOR (S)
•Disseminate ToRwidely
-Provide adequate time for quality responses
-Channels-list of potential consultants, forums or
professional groups, websites,
•Select the consultant
-Create a selection committee
-Assess proposals & select interview candidates
-Conduct interviews, select evaluator and report
•Contract the evaluator(s)
-Seek necessary approvals
-Negotiate and contact the evaluator(s)
•

6. STEP 4: ONBOARDING
•Kick off meeting
•Manage expectations
•Clarity on the program and ToR
•Define roles and responsibilities
•Provide all relevant program
documents

7. STEP 5: INCEPTION PHASE
•Start off the evaluation by
providing proper context & scope
•Inception meeting
•Inception report with
concretized;
-Evaluation questions,
methodology (approach, sampling,
data collection & analysis),
deliverables, ways of working and
communicating, budget and
timeline etc

8. STEP 6: DATA COLLECTION
•Tools development and piloting
•Actual data collection
•Support to access respondents
•Regular updates-weekly or bi-
weekly

9. STEP 7: DATA ANALYSIS & REPORT
DRAFTING
•Qualitative or quantitative based
on the evaluation questions, and
methodology
-Use the data analysis plan
•Report outline and requirements
agreed upon during inception e.g
pages, format, sub reports/deep
dives etc

10. STEP 8: LEARNING WORKSHOP
•Feedback session(s)
•Engage relevant staff and partners
-Participatory
•Presentation of key findings
•Feedback on key findings &
general recommendations
•Crafting or reworking the
recommendations

11. STEP 9: FINAL DELIVERABLES
•Evaluation report.
•Other deliverables;
-Deck/PowerPoint
-Infographics with key findings if necessary
-Stories of impact if needed

12. STEP 10: BEYOND THE EVALUATION
•Management response
•Wrap up
-Ensuring all deliverables approved
-Final payments
•Dissemination
-Dissemination strategy-approach,
audience and products
•Utilization of findings
-Learning, Accountability and Decision-
making