An Evaluation of an Evaluation Process

Abstract

From the introduction:

"As part of my assigned work for Project No. AID 20-00-0, I was asked to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-evaluation workshop and research design for the 1984-35 impact evaluation of the management enhancement aspects of 18 AID projects.

"I have studied intensively all the materials provided to the evaluation team at the pre-evaluation workshop and reviewed the full processes of conducting our study of the management components of the Egerton College AID project in Kenya. My report follows: Development Management Pre-Evaluation Workshop Between September 4 through 8, 1984, members of six evaluation teams, who would be conducting impact evaluation studies in Africa, were brought together for a Workshop held in Easton, Maryland, to explain the purposes and design of the impact evaluation studies and to increase the commonality of the final team reports.

"The Workshop was divided into three parts. The first part ? one day ? was devoted to a general briefing for the evaluation teams by a distinguished group of scholars and advisers. These external experts presented their analyses of the factors affecting development management performance. The second part ? again, one day ? was devoted to a discussion of internal AID views on development management and on research strategies to be used in the impact studies. The third part ? two days ? was devoted to helping the teams get ready for fieldwork. I participated in the first two parts of the Workshop and discussed the third part with the members of my team."