| When evaluating programmes and projects
it is useful to consider the following DAC Criteria, as laid out in the
DAC Principles for Evaluation of
Development Assistance:
Relevance
The extent to which the aid activity is suited to the priorities and
policies of the target group, recipient and donor.
In evaluating the relevance of a programme or a project, it is useful to
consider the following questions:
- To what extent are the objectives of
the programme still valid?
- Are the activities and outputs of
the programme consistent with the overall goal and the attainment of
its objectives?
- Are the activities and outputs of
the programme consistent with the intended impacts and effects?
Effectiveness
A measure of the extent to which an aid activity attains its objectives.
In evaluating the effectiveness of a programme or a project, it is
useful to consider the following questions:
- To what extent were the objectives
achieved / are likely to be achieved?
- What were the major factors
influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
Efficiency
Efficiency measures the outputs -- qualitative and quantitative -- in
relation to the inputs. It is an economic term which signifies that the
aid uses the least costly resources possible in order to achieve the
desired results. This generally requires comparing alternative
approaches to achieving the same outputs, to see whether the most
efficient process has been adopted.
When evaluating the efficiency of a programme or a project, it is useful
to consider the following questions:
- Were activities cost-efficient?
- Were objectives achieved on time?
- Was the programme or project
implemented in the most efficient way compared to alternatives?
Impact
The positive and negative changes produced by a development
intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended. This
involves the main impacts and effects resulting from the activity on the
local social, economic, environmental and other development indicators.
The examination should be concerned with both intended and unintended
results and must also include the positive and negative impact of
external factors, such as changes in terms of trade and financial
conditions.
When evaluating the impact of a programme or a project, it is useful to
consider the following questions:
- What has happened as a result of the
programme or project?
- What real difference has the
activity made to the beneficiaries?
- How many people have been affected?
Sustainability
Sustainability is concerned with measuring whether the benefits of an
activity are likely to continue after donor funding has been withdrawn.
Projects need to be environmentally as well as financially sustainable.
When evaluating the sustainability of a programme or a project, it is
useful to consider the following questions:
- To what extent did the benefits of a
programme or project continue after donor funding ceased?
- What were the major factors which
influenced the achievement or non-achievement of sustainability of
the programme or project?
Sources:
The DAC Principles for the Evaluation
of Development Assistance, OECD (1991), Glossary of Terms Used in
Evaluation, in 'Methods and Procedures in Aid Evaluation', OECD (1986),
and the Glossary of Evaluation and Results Based Management (RBM)
Terms, OECD (2000). |