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Filter search resultsArticulating mental models
Articulating mental models involves talking individually or in groups with key informants (including program planners, service implementors and clients) about how they understand an intervention works.MethodGroup model building
Group model building involves building a logic model in a group, often using sticky notes.MethodPrevious research and evaluation
Using the findings from evaluation and research studies that were previously conducted on the same or closely related areas.MethodGeneric change theories
Generic change theories can be applied across different sectors - for example, motivation, deterrence, capacity development. This page provides links to some resources that outline these change theories.MethodRisk assessment
Conducting a risk assessment involves identifying potential negative impacts, their likelihood of occurring and how they might be avoided.MethodUnusual events reporting
The reporting of unusual events or incidents is important both for the sake of transparency and to improve policies and procedures.MethodOrganisational M&E policy
Organisational monitoring and evaluation policies are the set of rules or principles that an organisation uses to guide its decisions and actions with respect to monitoring and evaluation across programs and departments.MethodCompetency frameworks
Competencies are the skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours needed to fulfil particular roles.MethodThumbnail description
A ’thumbnail’ is a brief description (short like a thumb nail).MethodPeak experience description
This method provides a succinct and coherent description of a program, project or policy when it is operating at its best.MethodExisting project description
Existing project descriptions about what is being evaluated can sometimes be accessed and used by evaluators.MethodPeer review for meta-evaluation
Reviewing the evaluation by using peers from within or outside of the organisation.MethodStories of change
Stories of change show what is valued through the use of specific narratives of events. Structured with a beginning, middle and end, they focus on the change that has taken place due to the program.MethodValues clarification interviews
Values Clarification Interviews involve interviewing key informants and intended beneficiaries to identify what they value.MethodValues clarification public opinion questionnaires
Seeking feedback from large numbers of people about their priorities through the use of questionnaires.MethodStated goals and objectives
Evaluations can use the program's stated objectives and goals to assess program success or failure.MethodContribute to broader evidence base
Inform future policy and practice by others outside the organisation.MethodInform decision making aimed at improvement (formative)
Changing or confirming policies and practices.MethodInform decision making aimed at selection, continuation or termination (summative)
Identifying best value for money.MethodLobby and advocate
Justify expenditure and demonstrate achievements.MethodBuild trust and legitimacy across stakeholders
Develop better understandings of each other and demonstrate that expectations are being met.MethodEnsure accountability
Holding someone to account to someone for something.MethodEvaluation plans and operations checklist
This checklist from the Evaluation Checklists Project provides a guide to those interested in conducting a preliminary, formative metaevaluation.ResourceOutlier sampling
Outlier sampling focuses on the extremes – the end-points of the normal distribution bell-curve.MethodConfirming and disconfirming sampling
Confirming and disconfirming cases assist the evaluator in the confirmatory fieldwork stage of an evaluation.MethodTheory-based sampling
Theory-based sampling involves selecting cases according to the extent to which they represent a particular theoretical construct.MethodCriterion sampling
Criterion sampling involves the identification of a particular criterion of importance, articulation of this criterion, and systematic review and study of cases that meet the criterion.MethodSnowball sampling
Snowball or chain sampling is a method for locating information rich key informants and critical cases.MethodCritical case sampling
A critical case is one that permits analytic generalisation, as, if a theory can work in the conditions of the critical case, it's likely to be able to work anywhere.MethodHomogenous sampling
Homogenous sampling involves selecting similar cases to further investigate a particular phenomenon or subgroup of interest. The logic of homogenous sampling is in contrast to the logic of maximum variation sampling.MethodMaximum variation sampling
A maximum variation sample contains cases that are purposefully as different from each other as possible. This type of sampling is useful for examining range in large national or global programs.MethodIntensity sampling
Intensity sampling uses the same logic as extreme case sampling – that much can be learned from the ends of the distribution range – but with less emphasis on the extremes.Method