The BetterEvaluation Framework

There are so many different methods, strategies and processes (we refer to all of these as 'options') in evaluation that it can be hard to work out which ones to choose for an evaluation.

On the BetterEvaluation site, we make it easier for you to find an appropriate option by using a framework which organizes options into 32 different tasks in evaluation. These tasks are grouped into 7 colour coded options (the BetterEvaluation rainbow).

Here's how it works:

For example, let's imagine you need to find options for the evaluation task 'Collect or retrieve data'. This task is a part of the cluster that focuses on how to DESCRIBE things in an evaluation.

For the task 'Collect or retrieve data' there are different options including After Action Review, Deliberative Opinion Polls, Delphi Study, Interviews, Logs and Diaries, Participant Observation, Photovoice and many more.

For the option 'After Action Review', there are several useful resources, including a guide, an example, and an overview.

The BetterEvaluation site has information about more than 200 options and over 500 resources.

There are different types of pages on the site:

TASK PAGE: provides an overview of the task and lists all the options

OPTIONS PAGE: provides a description of the option, a brief example, advice on when to choose it and how to use it well, and links to relevant resources.

RESOURCE PAGE: provides a description of the resource, which might be an overview, a how-to guide, an example, or a tool (a packaged version of the option).

You can add comments to all of these pages (if you are logged in) and also rate the usefulness of the resources.

Visit the Framework Overview page to explore these clusters of evaluation tasks, options and resources.