The evaluability assessment is an evaluation strategy which is also known as a clarificatory evaluation. The strategy is a process of examining the extent to which a program or project can be evaluated in a reliable and credible manner. It informs whether or not your project is ready for an evaluation, preparing an organization to ensure that a planned evaluation will produce useful and relevant results. It is there to clarify all the necessary issues and information before you begin to carry out an evaluation for your project.
The evaluability assessment is an underutilized strategy in project management. It is fair to state that most NGOs do not carry out evaluability assessments. Focus has mainly been on carrying out actual project evaluations particularly the most common ones, (baseline assessments, midterm evaluations , impact assessments and end of term evaluations) without carrying out any preparatory work to ensure successful evaluations. At the end of the day, most evaluation findings have been substandard, lacking credibility and 'useless', because they have not been properly planned for. This is where an evaluability assessment comes in. The strategy if executed correctly can be the distinguishing factor between a successful and an unsuccessful evaluation. In this case, an unsuccessful evaluation would be one where evaluation findings do not answer stakeholder questions, findings are not conclusive and are not credible.
As far as the quality of an evaluation report is concerned, an evaluability assessment should be a prerequisite to carrying out project evaluations. The benefits that come from carrying out the assessment can not be overstated. They include the ones listed below:
- An evaluability assessment will inform the timing of your evaluations (whether to wait, proceed or not proceed with a planned evaluation).
- Prepares a program or project to generate all the necessary information that will be needed for all evaluation questions to be answered. This enhances the credibility of the evaluation findings.
- Fills the gaps that may have been left out during program design and M and E planning.
- Will inform you if the program or project is not ready for evaluation.
- Improves the prospects of an evaluation yielding useful results.
- Informs better allocation of scarce resources.
- Treats the 'ritualization' of evaluation processes.
- Can be used to reconcile differences between stakeholders and evaluators thus increasing the probability of successful evaluations.
The benefits of the assessment cover three important aspects of a program or project: the program design (analysis and or development of logic models and program theories), availability of relevant information, and context (is the context conducive to carry out an evaluation that is credible?)
Foregoing an evaluability assessment may seem like a great idea until you get into a situation where you have evaluations that do not offer any solutions because the evaluator could not obtain all the necessary information they needed to answer your evaluation questions or because the program's objectives were not SMART enough among many other issues. An evaluability assessment will help define the actual objectives of a program and measure the coherence or linkages between the objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes of the program.
The steps to consider when carrying out the Evaluability Assessment
1. Determine Purpose, Secure Commitment, and Identify Work Group Members.
2. Define boundaries of Program to be Studied.
3. Identify and Analyze Program Documents.
4. Develop/Clarify Program Theory.
5. Identify and Interview Stakeholders.
6. Describe Stakeholder Perceptions of Program.
7. Identify Stakeholder Needs, Concerns, and Differences in Perceptions.
8. Determine Plausibility of Program Model.
9. Draw Conclusions and Make Recommendations.
10. Plan Specific Steps for Utilization of EA Data.
The evaluability assessment is therefore useful to ensure the realization of quality evaluations. It will not only save you from wasting scarce resources on 'useless' evaluations but will add value to project management by identifying and correcting any shortfalls which may have occurred during project design. Most importantly it will help develop a robust logic model and program theory for the project.
