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Evaluation

Evaluation is the systematic collection and analysis of strategy, project, and activity information to improve effectiveness and inform decisions about current and future programming.

Evaluation Supports Learning and Accountability

Evaluation is defined at USAID as “the systematic collection and analysis of data and information about the characteristics and outcomes of one or more organizations, policies, programs, strategies, projects, and/or activities as a basis for judgments to understand and improve effectiveness and efficiency.” The purpose of USAID evaluation is twofold: to learn to improve development outcomes and to ensure accountability to stakeholders. The Agency, partners, and the development community use a variety of designs and approaches, including mixed methods, impact evaluation, and participatory methods to continually learn and improve programming.

Evaluation Policy at USAID

USAID’s Evaluation Policy was updated in October 2020 to reflect changes to USAID’s Operational Policy (ADS 201), as well as feedback from USAID staff and the broader development and evaluation community. The Evaluation Policy is intended to provide clarity to staff and partners about the purpose of evaluation, required and recommended evaluations, and approaches for designing, conducting, disseminating, and using evaluations.

Evaluation Policy

Find guidance about the purpose of required and recommended evaluations, and approaches for designing, conducting, disseminating, and using evaluations.

Evaluation in the Program Cycle

Find out how Monitoring, Evaluation, CLA and other Program Cycle components support four overarching principles for good development.
Evidence to Action Briefs

Evidence to Action Briefs

Discover how evidence from evaluations are transformed into action! This resource includes five briefs about recently completed impact evaluations in Bangladesh, Ghana, Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Malawi, and Nepal. 

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Evaluation Toolkit

Curates the latest USAID guidance, tools, and templates for initiating, planning, managing, and learning from agency evaluations.

Explore Tools and Resources

Latest Evaluation Insights from the Community

Read insights on evaluation approaches from our community of implementing partners.