Impact evaluations and development

Many development interventions appear to leave no trace of sustained positive change after they have been terminated and it is hard to deternine the extent to which interventions are making a difference. For this reason, impact evaluations in development assistance are receiving considering attention over the last few years. This guidance document was developed by the Network of Networks on Impact Evaluation to support its focus on sharing methods and learning-by-doing to promote the practice of impact evaluation.

The guidance takes a loog at the methodological and conceptual issues in impact evaluation, and specfically:  

Identifying the type and scope of the intervention

• Agreeing on the objectives of the intervention that are valued
• Articulating the theories linking interventions to outcomes
• Addressing the issue of attribution
• Building on existing knowledge relevant to the impact intervention

Managing impact evalulations

• Determining the feasibility of impact evaluation
• Gathering data
• Front-end planning

Although there is no universally accepted definition of rigorous evaluation, the authors put forward that rigorous impact evaluation is not merely about specific methods and designs, but also about addressing these issues (outlined above), in particular the core methodological and conceptual issues. [adapted from the authors]