The BetterEvaluation Resource Library contains hundreds of curated and co-created resources related to managing, conducting, using, and strengthening capacity for evaluation.
You can use the search field and filtering on this page to find resources that you are interested in or you can browse our extensive list. An alternative way to find resources best suited to your needs is to explore the Rainbow Framework, where you can find resources relating to evaluation methods, approaches and tasks.
Evaluation report writing
What elements should you highlight in your evaluation reports? How can you craft your evaluation reports so they are both readable and useful for program managers? What is the right balance between narrative explanation and data visualization?Conducting evaluations virtually
This webinar, hosted by American University faculty Beverly Peters, Ph.D. and Kavita Mittapalli, Ph.D., discussed the opportunities and challenges of conducting virtual evaluations.Culturally responsive and equitable evaluation
How can you ensure your evaluation designs, data collection, and reporting are both culturally responsive and equitable?Equitable evaluation framework webinar
What if evaluative practice was not only about something but for something? This session explored the origins and impetus for the Equitable Evaluation Framework and how its three principles ask evaluation to:ThematicAnalysis.net
This website describes thematic analysis, "a range of qualitative research methods that are used for exploring and interpreting patterned meaning across datasets."How to talk about climate change
This collection of resources - toolkit, short guide and cheat sheet - sets out the challenges of talking about climate change and presents effective strategies to address them.Guidelines for applying the climate and ecosystems health criterion in the commissioning, design and implementation of evaluations
This guide sets out the rationale for why climate and ecosystem health need to be addressed by all evaluations and how this might be done during the commissioning, design and conduct of an evaluation.Integrating a transformative equity criterion into evaluations for promoting transformative systemic change
This guide sets out the rationale for why transformative equity needs to be addressed by all evaluations, especially in the South African context of high inequality, and how this might be done during the commissioning, design and conduct ofAddressing environmental sustainability through the OECD DAC criteria for evaluation of development assistance
This resource, from the Footprint Evaluation Initiative, discusses how the six evaluation criteria of the OECD DAC (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development – Development Assistance Committee) can be used to get environmentalEvaluación participativa
EvalParticipativa is the Community of Practice and Learning in Participatory Evaluation for Latin America and the Caribbean.Grantee MEL capacity assessment
This resource, part of the MEL Toolkit for Grantmakers and Grantees, provides a simple discussion/interview guide to assess grantee capacity across several components of MEL.Grantee reporting menu
This resource outlines the menu of reporting options developed as an approach to reporting that was more flexible and clearer for grantees and provided more insights to program officers.The Economic Justice Program’s monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning sub-strategy 2021–24
This sub-strategy from the Economic Justice Program explicitly outlines the purpose of MEL within the program, along with specific goals and guiding principles.Introduction to MEL for program staff
This tool is a presentation that the Open Society Foundations’ Economic Justice Program MEL team delivered to program colleagues to get them more familiar with MEL and suggest practical steps for considering it in their work.Indicator framework for OSF’s Economic Justice Program
This resource is the framework that the MEL team in the Open Society Foundations’ Economic Justice Program developed to compile, categorize, and make sense of a range of different indicators across the program’s grant-making portfolio.Developing a data collection platform: Vendor evaluation form
This resource is the form used by Open Society Foundations’ Economic Justice Program team to evaluate potential vendors to design and implement a new data platform for MEL.Terms of reference for evaluators and steering committees
This resource is a compilation of three separate terms of references to support different components of evaluations of Open Society Foundations’ Economic Justice Program.A guide to developing, refining, and using milestones
This guide provides a set of recommended steps for defining, refining, and integrating milestones while developing a theory of change.Theory of change example for grant portfolios
This resource is a theory of change example that was developed for an anti-corruption portfolio (2016–21); it includes standard theory-of-change components, such as outcomes and activities, as well as elements more specific to OSF’s longer-Template for developing a portfolio learning strategy
This resource is the template that the Economic Justice Program MEL team developed for the portfolio learning agendas of EJP's inaugural strategy.Close-out note for the Enhancing Impact for Economic Justice portfolio
This resource is a portfolio close-out note that was originally developed for colleagues internally at OSF: It provides an overview of the portfolio (its aims, structure, and scope) along with reflections on key achievements and lessons leaMEL jamboree facilitator agendas
These agendas, for grantee “MEL jamborees”, provide a detailed view of not only how an actionable learning event for MEL could be structured but also offer an insight into the interests, challenges, and opportunities facing grantees when itLearning Exchange Fund overview and application form
The MEL team in the Open Society Foundations’ Economic Justice Program created a special fund to support structured learning and collaboration between its existing grantees.Evaluation at the endgame: Evaluating sustainability and the SDGs by moving past dominion and institutional capture
“Business-as-usual evaluation will not suffice.Setting new standards for better MEL: Lessons for grantees & funders
This brief shares insights from the efforts of The Economic Justice Program (EJP) of the Open Society Foundations' Strategy & Impact Unit to develop a focused, principles‑driven approach to monitoring and evaluation.Responsible data stewardship
This report from the Open Data Institute discusses key concepts including ‘data stewardship’, ‘data ethics’, ‘data justice’ ‘data for good’ ‘responsible data’, ‘data sovereignty’, ‘Indigenous data sovereignty’, and ‘data feminism’.Data ethics guidebook & toolkit
This data ethics guidebook and accompanying toolkit from Informing Change and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation deliver practical guidance and customizable tools for navigating ethical issues in research and evaluations.Evaluative thinking
This set of webpages and video from the Department of Education in New South Wales, Australia, provides background information on evaluative thinking and its use.The core of evaluation: Evaluative thinking
This AEA365 blog by Tom Grayson provides a list of quotes from notable evaluation colleagues about the importance of evaluative thinking.SAMEA knowledge compendium 2019
This resource, produced by the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA) brings together a range of content about monitoring and evaluation practice.Working with lived and living experience researchers: A practical framework
This blog provides guidance and examples on co-evaluating with lived and living experience (LLE) researchers.Evaluation in the Government of Canada
The Results Division of the Secretariat of the Government of Canada provides advice and guidance on evaluation practices across the federal government.