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| Better Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Better Evaluation |
| Type | International collaboration |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Better Evaluation
Better Evaluation is a collaborative international initiative that curates and promotes approaches to evaluation practice and decision-making. It brings together communities of practice, researchers, funders and practitioners to improve the design, conduct and use of evaluations across sectors. The initiative connects methods, tools and standards developed in diverse contexts such as public policy, international development, health and education to support evidence-informed decisions.
The initiative originated from dialogues among evaluation networks including Australian National University, University of Melbourne, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank, and practitioners from UNICEF, World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme and national agencies. The founders drew upon precedents such as Campbell Collaboration, Cochrane Collaboration, International Development Research Centre and evaluation frameworks used by UK Department for International Development, United States Agency for International Development, European Commission and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Early working groups referenced guidance from Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, American Evaluation Association and scholars connected with Harvard University, London School of Economics, University of Oxford and Stanford University.
The initiative advocates principles adapted from sources like Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, Accra Agenda for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals monitoring agenda. Frameworks emphasize rigour, relevance, utility and ethics inspired by Belmont Report, Helsinki Declaration and standards promulgated by International Organization for Standardization. Conceptual models draw on causal inference traditions connected to Donald Rubin, Judea Pearl and design thinking influenced by Design Council (UK). Thematic frameworks intersect with evaluation traditions represented by Utilization-Focused Evaluation (Michael Quinn Patton), Theory of Change approaches used by Oxfam and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and contribution analysis applied in DfID and Canadian International Development Agency projects.
The resource repository catalogs mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative techniques such as randomized controlled trials used by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, quasi-experimental designs promoted by World Bank Evaluation Group, realist evaluation advanced by Ray Pawson and Nick Tilley, developmental evaluation associated with Michael Quinn Patton, process tracing used in comparative politics literature by Alexander George, and participatory appraisal methods used by CARE International and Save the Children. Tools include logic models, indicators aligned with Global Reporting Initiative, contribution mapping informed by IEG practice, data visualization conventions from Tableau Software case studies, stakeholder mapping techniques used by Kaiser Family Foundation and ethical review protocols similar to those of National Institutes of Health.
Practitioners apply the guidance across humanitarian programming by International Committee of the Red Cross, public health interventions piloted with Gavi, education reforms in partnership with UNESCO, infrastructure and transport evaluations associated with Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, climate and environment work connected to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, and social protection programmes evaluated by ILO and World Food Programme. It is used by philanthropic funders such as Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation and Wellcome Trust and in national audit contexts like National Audit Office (UK) and Government Accountability Office.
Documented examples span randomized trials of cash transfers carried out with J-PAL partners, health systems strengthening evaluations linked to Partners In Health, education interventions assessed with Teach For All affiliates, gender-equality programming reviewed by UN Women, and governance reforms monitored through collaborations with Open Government Partnership. Syntheses draw upon meta-analyses produced by Campbell Collaboration, systematic reviews aligned with Cochrane methods, and evaluation syntheses used by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee.
Challenges include tensions between methodological rigour promoted by groups such as J-PAL and contextual relevance emphasized by proponents of realist and participatory approaches like Ray Pawson and Paolo Freire-influenced practitioners. Critics reference power imbalances highlighted in literature from Amartya Sen and Vandana Shiva, concerns about standardization raised by Michel Foucault-informed scholars, and debates over metric fixation similar to critiques from Goodhart's law discussions in policy analysis. Practical barriers arise in resourcing noted by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation evaluations, data quality issues observed in low-capacity settings studied by World Health Organization, and ethical tensions discussed in forums convened by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The initiative informs policy formation and implementation processes in ministries linked to Department of Health and Human Services (United States), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands), and multilateral programmes administered by United Nations Development Programme and World Bank Group. It shapes commissioning practices used by foundations like Gates Foundation and operational guidance in agencies such as USAID and Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Uptake influences monitoring and evaluation units in institutions including African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank and contributes to professionalization seen in credentialing by American Evaluation Association and academic programmes at University of Melbourne and London School of Economics.
Category:Evaluation