Evaluation Reports
- Title page, table of contents, acronyms
- Executive summary
- Purpose of the evaluation
- Evaluation objectives and scope
- Evaluation Methodology
- Context of subject
- Description of the subject
- Findings
- Analysis
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- Lessons learnt
- Annexes
GE / HR responsive evaluations focus on engagement, not just reporting. Reporting throughout the evaluation process and at its conclusion (in the final report) is an important opportunity to use evaluation for learning. Interim reporting of findings by the evaluation team, to the manager and the reference group, will build understanding as the evaluation process is underway and leads to greater buy-in and ultimately use of evaluation results.
Interim reporting needs to have been built into the ToR, the Inception Report and the evaluation team’s workplan.
The final report on the evaluation should contain the adjacent information / headings. There are UN standards for evaluation reports and these are also incorporated into the guidance on evaluation reports provided with this Guide. This tool provides a description of what is expected in each section of the evaluation final report.
Over and above the core content identified here, a GE / HR responsive evaluation final report will also:
- Reflect GE/HR principles throughout the findings
- Indicate how the methodology incorporated GE/HR perspectives / approaches
- Include a discussion on the extent to which the evaluation design included ethical safeguards (the protection of the confidentiality, dignity, rights and welfare of human subjects, including children, and respect for the values of the beneficiary communities)
- Explain how the evaluation process may have helped empower stakeholders
- Provide recommendations on how to improve GE/HR performance
- Highlight lessons learned regarding GE/HR mainstreaming that go beyond the specific project or program
- Avoid technical jargon and other language that would marginalize stakeholders
The manager needs to think about the process of developing the final report, notably the recommendations. The involvement of stakeholders at this stage can produce more credible and realistic recommendations as well as create a broad sense of ownership – which can facilitate implementation. The involvement of the manager and stakeholders needs to be tactical – ensuring the recommendations are presented in a way that they can be used, not directing the content. Recommendations need to be derived from the findings.
To be useful, the number of recommendations should be do-able, prioritized, appropriately incorporate GE/HR considerations, and be addressed to specific stakeholders. The evaluation’s value added is its impartial and systematic assessment of the program or intervention.
Some common weaknesses of evaluation reports to watch for include:
- Failure to indicate the limitations of the methodology, how GE/HR issues are assessed and the application of ethical safeguards and norms.
- Findings, analysis and conclusions are not clearly separated and conclusions are not supported by evidence in findings. Findings are the evidence, the data and information collected through the evaluation methods. Analysis is the integration of all findings against the evaluation issues and the conclusions report what the evidence and analysis are saying about the evaluation questions.
- Recommendations and lessons learned are not clearly delineated. Recommendations are suggested actions on the programme being evaluated. Lesson learned are about how this programme (evaluand) or key learnings from this evaluation may have application in a broader development, gender equality and / or human rights context (replication, contributing to better understanding theories or causal relationships).
- The report is too long and key messages are not clearly communicated. There is no magic number on length, but a 30 page report is often more informative than one of 100 pages.
The manager is responsible for ensuring a quality report that meets the UN Woman / UNEG standards and which can be used by the program and its stakeholders.
Tips: Communicate the expectations to the evaluation team early and throughout the process, insist the product meets the standards, and send it back for reworking as needed.
