Introduction
In an era of evidence-based decision-making, the ability to systematically assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of initiatives is no longer optional—it’s essential. Project and Program Evaluation is a core function that enables organizations to learn, adapt, demonstrate accountability, and maximize the value of their interventions.
This course provides development practitioners, evaluators, program managers, and policy professionals with practical skills to design, commission, conduct, and use evaluations across various sectors. Whether assessing a health project in a rural community, a multi-country education initiative, or a humanitarian response, evaluation serves as a powerful tool for improving performance and ensuring that development efforts achieve their intended outcomes.
Because when evaluation is well-planned and well-used, it becomes a force not just for reporting—but for change.
Latest Trends in Project and Program Evaluation
As development, humanitarian, and public sector programs grow in complexity and ambition, Project and Program Evaluation is evolving to meet new demands for inclusion, agility, and real-time learning. Current trends include:
1. Utilization-Focused and Adaptive Evaluation
Evaluations are increasingly designed with intended users in mind and are tailored to inform ongoing decision-making. Adaptive evaluations emphasize learning during implementation, not just at the end.
2. Participatory and Inclusive Approaches
There is a growing push for co-created evaluations, where beneficiaries, community members, and marginalized groups play active roles in framing questions, collecting data, and interpreting results.
3. Digital and Real-Time Evaluation Tools
Mobile data collection, dashboards, AI-powered analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS) are making it possible to conduct faster, more accurate evaluations—especially in complex or remote settings.
4. Evaluation for Equity and Justice
Evaluators are being challenged to go beyond performance metrics and assess power dynamics, structural inequalities, and the equity implications of interventions—particularly in post-conflict and decolonial contexts.
5. Mixed-Methods and Theory-Based Designs
To address multifaceted programs, evaluators are increasingly combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and grounding evaluations in theories of change or contribution analysis to explain why and how outcomes occur.
Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for professionals and teams responsible for overseeing, conducting, or using evaluations in development, humanitarian, public health, education, governance, or private sector programs.
Recommended for:
- Program and project managers
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E or MEAL) officers
- Evaluation consultants and researchers
- Donor agency and foundation staff
- Technical advisors and sector specialists
- Grant managers and proposal writers
- Policy analysts and government planners
- NGO, UN agency, and CSO staff engaged in results-based management
Whether you are designing your first evaluation or refining your organization’s evaluation practice, Project and Program Evaluation offers practical strategies and tools for every stage of the evaluation cycle.
Learning Objectives and Outcome for the Course Sponsor
The course aims to build participants’ technical knowledge and practical capacity to plan, manage, and apply evaluations that improve program effectiveness and strategic decision-making.
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the Purpose and Principles of Evaluation
- Distinguish evaluation from monitoring, research, and audit
- Explore core evaluation criteria (e.g., relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability)
- Apply principles of independence, utility, impartiality, and ethics
- Design Effective Evaluation Plans
- Develop evaluation questions aligned with program goals and stakeholder needs
- Select appropriate evaluation types: formative, summative, process, outcome, or impact
- Choose appropriate approaches: theory-based, participatory, developmental, or realist
- Develop Terms of Reference (ToR) and Evaluation Frameworks
- Draft ToRs for internal or external evaluations
- Use logic models, theory of change, or results chains to guide evaluation planning
- Design sampling plans and data collection strategies
- Select and Apply Evaluation Methodologies
- Apply mixed-methods, qualitative, and quantitative tools
- Use methods such as surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and participatory scoring
- Address evaluation limitations such as attribution, bias, and cultural sensitivity
- Manage and Oversee Evaluation Implementation
- Coordinate teams, timelines, data quality assurance, and stakeholder involvement
- Troubleshoot field challenges and ensure ethical data collection and analysis
- Analyze and Interpret Evaluation Data
- Conduct thematic coding, basic statistical analysis, and triangulation
- Synthesize findings into conclusions that are evidence-based and actionable
- Write and Present Evaluation Reports
- Structure reports for various audiences using executive summaries, visual aids, and clear recommendations
- Translate complex data into accessible, compelling insights
- Use Evaluation Results for Learning and Accountability
- Facilitate reflection workshops and post-evaluation action planning
- Link evaluation findings to adaptive management, strategic planning, and donor reporting
- Institutionalize Evaluation Practices
- Establish organizational evaluation policies, quality standards, and capacity-building strategies
- Strengthen evaluation culture and use across project cycles and institutions
Organizational Outcomes
Organizations whose teams complete this course will experience meaningful improvements in their evaluation design, execution, and application:
- More credible and actionable evaluations that meet donor and stakeholder expectations
- Enhanced program performance and learning through evidence-based decisions
- Stronger organizational capacity to commission, manage, and use evaluations effectively
- Increased accountability and transparency in communicating results to communities and partners
- Better resource allocation by identifying what works, what doesn’t, and why
- A culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and adaptive learning
Course Methodology
This course uses an interactive, practice-based approach designed to build core competencies while fostering critical thinking and reflective learning.
Training methods include:
- Interactive lectures and presentations
- Real-world case studies across development sectors
- Hands-on exercises designing evaluation questions, ToRs, and data collection tools
- Group work and peer review
- Role-playing evaluator-client dynamics
- Data analysis practice using qualitative and quantitative datasets
- Live critique of evaluation reports
- Development of an evaluation action plan tailored to each participant’s context
Each participant receives a Digital Evaluation Toolkit, including:
- Sample evaluation ToRs and reports
- Evaluation design and planning templates
- Interview guides and survey tools
- Report writing frameworks
- MEL integration tools for evaluation follow-up
- Ethics and data protection guidelines
Course Delivery Options:
- 5-day in-person intensive
- 4-week online interactive course with live sessions
- Customized in-house training aligned to sector or donor-specific needs
Why It Matters in Today’s World
Development and humanitarian organizations are under constant pressure to prove value, improve outcomes, and learn from both success and failure. Yet too often, evaluations are underused, poorly designed, or disconnected from the decisions they’re meant to support.
Project and Program Evaluation provides the skills and structure to turn evaluations into powerful tools for insight, innovation, and impact. It helps teams move beyond compliance reporting to a culture of curiosity and improvement.
In a time of global uncertainty, constrained funding, and growing complexity, evaluation becomes not just a process—but a compass that helps development actors stay focused, accountable, and effective.
