The information in this article is intended for project directors and principal investigators, with project evaluators also benefiting from its insights. The goal is to provide tools that aid those responsible for agricultural projects in maximizing the outcomes of their evaluation efforts.
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Types of Project Evaluation
A. Early Stages – FORMATIVE EVALUATION
Formative evaluation begins during the development of an agricultural project and continues throughout its lifecycle. Its purpose is to assess ongoing project activities, providing information to monitor and improve the project’s effectiveness.
This evaluation occurs at several points during the project’s development. Formative evaluation includes two components: implementation evaluation and progress evaluation.
1. Implementation Evaluation: This assesses whether the agricultural project is being executed as planned. Often referred to as “process evaluation,” it can take place once or multiple times during the project. Before evaluating the outcomes, it is essential to ensure that the project’s components are functioning as intended.
While sometimes confused with monitoring evaluation, they differ. Implementation evaluation is a check by project staff or evaluators to confirm that all essential project elements are in place. In contrast, monitoring is an external process, often conducted by funding agencies, to assess progress and compliance.
2. Progress Evaluation: This focuses on assessing the project’s progress in meeting its goals. It collects data on the participants, curriculum, or institutions at different intervention stages. Progress evaluation helps avoid waiting until the project’s completion to assess its effectiveness. If the collected data doesn’t show expected results, adjustments can be made to the project. Progress evaluations also contribute to summative evaluations conducted later.
B. Later Stages – SUMMATIVE EVALUATION
Summative evaluation assesses a mature agricultural project’s success in achieving its stated goals. This evaluation, sometimes called “impact” or “outcome evaluation,” addresses similar questions as a progress evaluation but occurs after the project’s timeframe for change has passed.
Summative evaluation gathers information about outcomes, processes, strategies, and activities that led to those outcomes. This type of evaluation is essential for decision-making, such as whether to disseminate the project to other sites, continue or increase funding, or make necessary modifications. In high-stakes situations, an external evaluator may be required to ensure objectivity.
It is also essential to consider unanticipated outcomes during a summative evaluation, which may emerge during data collection or analysis.
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The Evaluation Process for Agricultural Projects
Evaluations, whether summative or formative, generally follow six phases:
1. Develop a conceptual model of the project and identify key evaluation points: Creating a conceptual model helps ensure a common understanding of the project’s structure and outcomes. It also helps focus the evaluation on critical elements.
2. Develop evaluation questions and define measurable outcomes: Formulate evaluation questions based on the conceptual model and define the outcomes in measurable terms. Prioritize and eliminate unnecessary questions.
3. Develop an evaluation design: The design includes selecting a methodological approach, data collection tools, and determining the timing and subjects of the study.
4. Collect data: Once data collection techniques are determined, gather the necessary information. Ensure permissions, clearances, and proper training of data collectors.
5. Analyze data: After collecting data, analyze and interpret the results. The process may vary based on the type of data (qualitative or quantitative). Conduct additional analyses as needed to fully understand the findings.
6. Provide information to interested audiences: Present the results in a way that is clear, credible, and timely, ensuring the evaluation informs the decision-making process.
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