Our theory of change

BetterEvaluation works to produce significant improvements in evaluation.

We focus on two key areas to achieve this:

  • knowledge platform  at betterevaluation.org
  • research and innovation

Our work is supported by ongoing situational analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, gaps and priorities in organisations, sectors and globally. We engage diverse groups of people working across different disciplines, sectors, cultures and methodological paradigms to inform what we do.

BetterEvaluation both draws from and is drawn upon in the work of other organisations in the global and local evaluation toolboxes, capacity strengthening activities, and research and advocacy.

The intermediate outcomes of this work are improvements in capability (knowledge and skills), motivation (incentives and commitment), and opportunity for people engaged in evaluation in different ways, including:

  • those who self-identify as evaluators
  • those who use other labels such as social impact assessment and performance metrics
  • those who do evaluation as part of their job
  • those who manage or commission evaluations
  • those who teach or research evaluation

The subsequent improvements in the supply of and demand for evaluation and the enabling environment will lead to improvements in all forms of evaluative activity and practice in terms of choosing and using evaluation methods, processes and approaches appropriately and effectively. 

This will lead to improved decisions and actions being taken, resulting in interventions with improved performance and better outcomes and impacts from the interventions being evaluated. ​These better impacts will be in terms of improved performance of what is being evaluated, (both intended and unintended, positive and negative impacts), especially in terms of its impacts on the most vulnerable.

The ultimate intended beneficiaries of BetterEvaluation are the people who are affected by the programs and policies of government and non-government organisations and international development agencies.