The new Evalsed GUIDE is published as single volume. It is supported by a series of Sourcebooks that provide more specialised and in depth material and which can be accessed and downloaded via the internet.
The Evalsed GUIDE itself is in four sections:
Evaluation and socio economic development provides an introduction to evaluation and its benefits. This begins with a general overview of what evaluation can do to improve policies and programmes and ultimately to strengthen socio-economic development. This is followed by an introduction to some basic ideas in evaluation: its history; some of the different traditions which evaluators draw on; and the different purposes of evaluation. Finally, the specifics of socio-economic development as an object of evaluation are discussed. This includes unpicking the specific characteristics of this socio economic development policy and its implications for evaluation as well as the main theories and ideas on which policies and programmes are built and which evaluators need to take into account.
Designing and implementing evaluation takes readers through practical issues in designing and implementing evaluations. It begins by considering design issues including how to plan an evaluation, defining evaluation questions and choosing methods, as well as launching and commissioning evaluations. It then goes on to consider the management issues once an evaluation has been designed including the choice of evaluators and the role of Steering Committees, managing quality assurance in evaluation and managing communications to ensure influence.
Developing evaluation capacity discusses how to develop evaluation capacity and strategies for capacity development are discussed. The argument is structured on the basis of four stages in capacity development. This part includes discussion of internal capacity within administrations, as well as external capacity within professional networks and partnerships.
Choosing methods and techniques introduces the methods and techniques of evaluation, in terms of their strengths and weaknesses - and appropriateness. Methods and techniques are discussed within a number of frameworks: different types of socio-economic programmes, different programme stages, different stages in the evaluation process and different evaluation purposes. Finally, types of data (quantitative and qualitative), indicator systems and data sources are introduced.
Each section of the Evalsed GUIDE ends with some 'golden rules' highlighting both good practice and rules of thumb that can be recommended to those who manage, commission, undertake and use evaluations. However, in general this GUIDE avoids being too prescriptive. This is partly because there is often no single right way in evaluation and different approaches each have their strengths and weaknesses in different settings. Pragmatically also, the ideal preconditions for evaluation often do not exist - whether because of lack of data, problems of timing or availability of skills. Doing the best we can whilst still trying to improve evaluation capacity in the future is a theme that runs through this GUIDE.
To support the Evalsed GUIDE a series of Sourcebooks has also been prepared, which will be of particular interest to specialists and practitioners.
Sourcebook 1, entitled 'Evaluation approaches for particular themes and policy areas' is under reconstruction.
Sourcebook 2 is entitled 'Evaluation methods and techniques'. This includes the elaboration of a wide range of tools and techniques both quantitative and qualitative that are useful at different stages of an evaluation.
Sourcebook 3 is entitled 'Resource material on evaluation capacity building'. This includes case histories of the development of evaluation capacity in the EU, Italy, Netherlands and Ireland; and, references to other regional, national and international experience. It illustrates the advice provided in the GUIDE and is intended to stimulate the development of evaluation capacity.
There is a Glossary that contains definitions of the terms used in the Evalsed GUIDE and Sourcebooks.
All of this material is available via this website and can be downloaded. In order to improve interaction with those involved with evaluation the site also includes: a forum, a library where documents are stored and can be accessed, a what's new section and listing of forthcoming events. It is intended that the site should be a focus of discussion and debate and that the material should be constantly enriched through references to current practice.