Evaluation for management and development

Abstract

This article examines an evaluation currently being undertaken in Papua New Guinea. The evaluation is designed to assist an organisation (comprising a donor agency, a recipient government department and a managing contractor) with the management and further development of an aid program set in the education sector.

The challenge facing the organisation has been how to devise and implement a comprehensive managerial approach that will enable improvement of the existing program, the subsequent design of a new program and, at the same time, support a third objective of creating an ongoing culture of evaluation.

In responding to that challenge the organisation has committed to the use of structured evaluation processes. Specifi cally, it has decided to implement a range of ‘front end’ evaluative approaches-developmental, evaluability assessment and program logic-drawn from the interactive and clarifi cative forms presented in Owen's (1999) conceptual framework.

The article outlines the interventions that have been undertaken and assesses progress to date. Examples of completed activities are outlined and some innovative monitoring evaluative tools are introduced, such as the ‘capacity scale’ and the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) template. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the role of evaluation for management and development for achieving continuous improvement.

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