Contents of a Terms of Reference
- Title
- Background, Purpose & Use
- Context of the Intervention
- Description of the Intervention
- Scope of the Evaluation
- Evaluation Questions
- Existing Information Sources
- Approach, Process & Methods
- Stakeholder Participation
- Expected Products
- Evaluation Team composition, skills & experience
- Management of Evaluation
- Ethical Code of Conduct
The Evaluation Terms of Reference is a critically important document in preparing for an evaluation. This section discusses the overall content and provides suggestions for the development process. Subsequent sub sections elaborate on how to define the evaluation scope, questions, approach and methods.
An Evaluation Terms of Reference (ToR) provides definition for why the evaluation is being done (purpose), what it will examine (focus and key questions), how and when it will be conducted (methods and information sources) and who and how it will be used when completed. The ToR is organized under the adjacent sections / headings and direction on the content for each is found in UN Women Guidance on a Terms of Reference. The ToR affects all stages of the evaluation process as it is used in contracting evaluation resources, is a reference point for guiding the evaluation process (including interim deliverables and reporting), and provides clarity on the intended use of the evaluation once completed.
The process of writing a ToR helps to develop the rationale for the evaluation and to define what you want the evaluation to accomplish. It is best developed collaboratively with your reference group (discussed in the previous section – Identifying Stakeholders and Reference Group). Brainstorming with the reference group to develop the ToR will make good use of their collective knowledge to identify the purpose of the evaluation (key users and uses) and key elements of the context for the programme and the evaluation. It will also serve to manage the expectations of key stakeholders and bring clarity to their role in the evaluation.
Some general, sample questions the manager and reference group might consider include:
- Once completed, how will you use the evaluation?
- What questions do you have about this programme that the evaluation should answer?
- What don’t you know about this programme now that would be helpful?
- What specifically should this evaluation examine?
- Is there anything that should be excluded from the scope of the evaluation?
- How do you envision the evaluation collecting the information and data required?
- What information and data do you have now about the programme that can be used in the evaluation?
- What will make the evaluation challenging to conduct? (geography, different cultural groups, gender considerations)
- How do you want to contribute to / participate in the evaluation?
- How and how frequently do you want to be informed about the evaluation’s progress?
Answering these questions will start to ‘populate’ the ToR. Draft the Evaluation ToR and use your reference group to refine it. Use the checklist to assess the ToR once completed. Examples of the ToR for a Corporate Evaluation of Gender Based Budgeting and for an Evaluation of a Say NO to Violence Against Women Campaign are provided to help guide your work.
Tips: Keep the Terms of Reference informative but concise. Work your way through the ToR sections (as defined here) but be prepared to go back and forth in refining the final document. As you develop evaluation questions or explore potential methods, you may find you are refining the scope, purpose or uses for the evaluation.
