ABSTRACT
There are valuable lessons to be learnt from success as well as failure – in many cases, lessons that are quite obvious and relevant. Generally speaking, the purpose of evaluation is threefold, that is, it contributes to efficient control, management and learning. Experience indicates that today, most evaluation activities occur during the implementation phase or just after its conclusion, with options designated interim evaluation and final evaluation, respectively. An evaluation involves an assessment employing specific evaluation criteria and measures against standards or expected values, such as knowledge and proficiency relative to learning goals or effects relative to strategic plans. The chapter presents some findings and recommendations based on experiences from the 29 evaluations conducted so far. In most of the cases, the evaluators concluded that the projects were successful in more than one aspect, especially in operational terms. Different methods of data collection and analysis are needed for different evaluation criteria.
