Itad’s Julian Barr and Rob Lloyd, with DFID’s David Rinnert, Danielle Dunne, and Anna Henttinen, with contributions from Bob Crabtree and Tom Wagstaff, explore the value of evaluation in this discussion paper.
DFID has been at the forefront of supporting the generation of evidence to meet the increasing demand for knowledge and evidence about what works in international development. Monitoring and evaluation have become established tools for donor agencies and other actors to demonstrate accountability and to learn. At the same time, the need to demonstrate the impact and value of evaluation activities has also increased. However, there is currently no systematic approach to valuing the benefits of an evaluation, whether at the individual or at the portfolio level.
This paper argues that the value proposition of evaluations for DFID is context-specific, but that it is closely linked to the use of the evaluation and the benefits conferred to stakeholders by the use of the evidence that the evaluation provides. Although it may not always be possible to quantify and monetise this value, it should always be possible to identify and articulate it.
