Evaluability is the extent to which the program is ready to be evaluated. Programmes ready for evaluation are those with:
- a strong theoretical foundation /model
- clear and specific objectives
- a detailed plan for execution / implementation
- a defined target population(s) and management, and
- information systems in operation
Managers, as part of preparation, undertake ‘informal’ assessments in order to select a programme to be evaluated, or to assist in defining the evaluation. This process examines programme design, availability of information and in particular GE and HR related data, and conduciveness of the context.
Further guidance and a checklist, designed to help managers scan their programme’s readiness for an evaluation, is provided with this Guide. The checklist is to be used as a guide to decide whether or not to proceed with an evaluation, not as a scorecard of requirements. Programmes may have only some of these elements and still be evaluated. Where programmes are missing elements in the checklist, the evaluation may need to be designed to accommodate, exclude or compensate where possible.
Where programmes demonstrate low evaluability, a formal evaluability assessment can be undertaken. An evaluability assessment is a systematic process (a type of evaluation) that helps to identify whether a program is in a condition to be evaluated, and whether an evaluation is justified, feasible and likely to provide useful information. It can also be used to prepare the programme to generate all the necessary conditions to be evaluated. Assessing evaluability is also considered in cases where there has been a very large investment in an intervention or the evaluand is extremely complex. In these cases, undertaking a formal assessment of evaluability is used to help scope and define an evaluation. In either case, a ‘formal’ evaluability assessment is undertaken by those with evaluation expertise.
Example: UN Woman undertook an evaluability assessment of their strategic plan to determine whether it meets the preconditions for evaluation and, if so, how the evaluation should be designed to ensure maximum utility.
Tips: The evaluability checklist is also a helpful during the development of the evaluation terms of reference. It can ensure that identified gaps in the program are taken into account in deciding on the evaluation scope, approach and methods. It can also help identify potential challenges and constraints in undertaking the evaluation.
