These days we are not short of evaluation guides, textbooks and source material! As the profession and practice of evaluation has grown, a considerable library of evaluation books has been published. Whilst this literature mainly originated from North America, the expansion of evaluation in Europe - often in response to Cohesion Policy requirements - has spurred many new publications in Europe. The European Commission has published detailed Methodological Guidance - on indicators, ongoing evaluation, etc. - that is specific and closely aligned with the Structural Fund Regulations. There is also a Financial Regulation which requires ex ante and ex post evaluation of all EU funded programmes. Public authorities at member state level also publish guidance for those who evaluate national and European socio-economic development programmes and policies.
The obligations to evaluate and the guidance published by those who share responsibility for the socio economic development programmes change over time. Evaluation needs to be closely aligned to the circumstances in which the socio economic development is taking place and the key policy choices that need to be informed. We need to be clear that this GUIDE is not a substitute for other sources and indeed it draws on and cross-refers where relevant to such sources. This GUIDE is intended to speak to a wider audience - and to present evaluation approaches and practice in these kinds of programme and policy areas 'in the round'. Very often other sources are very specialised, addressing narrow areas of evaluation at an expert level. This GUIDE intends to fill a gap in the market to broaden understandings of sound methods and good practice in an accessible form.