Preparing Evaluation Reports (Page 4 of 7) in pdf

HOW-TO NOTE

Preparing Evaluation Reports

the project was started, a description of the

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

beneficiary population, geographic area of the

General Style

project, and the underlying development

When writing a report, the evaluation team must

hypothesis, or causal logic, of the project or the

always remember the primary audience: project and

broader program of which the project is a part.

program managers, policymakers, and direct

If a results framework (for strategies, objectives

stakeholders. The style of writing should be easy to

or programs) or logical framework (for projects)

understand and concise while making sure to

is available, this should be included here. For

address the evaluation questions and issues with

projects designed under the

project design

accurate and data-driven findings, justifiable

guidance

released in 2011, the evaluation team

conclusions, and practical recommendations.

should have access to the final Project Appraisal

Document and related annexes (which includes a

Report Sections and Content

logical framework and original monitoring and

At a minimum, all reports should include the

evaluation plans, among other things). This

following sections: Executive Summary (3 to 4

information provides important context for

pages); Evaluation Purpose and Questions (1 to 2

understanding the evaluation purpose, questions,

pages); Project Background (1to 3 pages); Evaluation

methods, findings and conclusions.

Methods and Limitations (1 to 3 pages, with full

version provided in an annex); Findings, Conclusions

 Methods and Limitations

and Recommendations (15 to 25 pages); and,

This section should provide a detailed

Annexes. Reports may include additional content,

description within one to three pages of the

split the sections up differently, or present the

evaluation methods and why they were chosen.

sections in a different order.

If more space is needed, additional detailed

information on the methods should be provided

 Executive Summary

in an annex. The reader needs to understand

The Executive Summary, between three to four

what the evaluation team did and why to make

pages in length, should stand alone as an

an informed judgment about the credibility of

abbreviated version of the report. All content of

the findings and conclusions and the underlying

the full report should be summarized, and the

evaluation design including the data collection

Executive Summary should contain no new

and analysis methods.

information.

 Evaluation Purpose and Questions

Evaluation methods should correspond directly

The evaluation purpose should be clearly defined

to the questions being asked and should

at the beginning of the report. It should describe

generate the highest quality and most credible

in about one page or less why the evaluation is

evidence possible, taking into consideration time,

being conducted now, how the findings are

budget and other practical considerations.

expected to be used, what specific decisions will

be informed by the evaluation, and who the main

This section should provide information on all

audiences are for the evaluation report. The

aspects of the evaluation design and methods,

evaluation questions are linked to the purpose,

including tradeoffs that led to selection of

and should be listed here. Good practice is to

specific data collection and analysis methods, a

limit the questions to three to five that are clear,

description of data availability and quality, and

focused, and that will directly inform specific

sampling strategies (purposive, random, etc.),

decisions.

including how interview subjects or site visits

were selected. Just as important as describing

 Project Background

the evaluation methods is describing any

This section should summarize the project being

limitations in data collection and analysis, data

evaluated in one to three pages, including the

quality, access to data sources, or any other

original problem the project is designed to

factors that may result in bias. To show the

address, any changes that have occurred since

Preparing Evaluation Reports Page 4

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