Evaluation

USAID is committed to rigorous and high-quality program evaluation – the systematic collection and analysis of information to understand and improve the impact of our development programs. USAID's Evaluation Policy supports the objectives laid out in the 2016 Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act and is consistent with the Foundations for Evidence Based Policymaking Act of 2018.

Evaluation Policy

USAID's Evaluation Policy elevates evaluation as a source of evidence and sets standards and expectations for evaluation quality and use. The Evaluation Policy is embedded within USAID’s Automated Directives System, Chapter 201 Program Cycle Operational Policy

 Relevant and high-quality evaluation is an important tool to track the progress, results and effectiveness of international development programs.  USAID has commissioned independent studies to examine evaluation quality at USAID. These are available on USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse, with a few examples listed below:

• Meta-Evaluation of Quality and Coverage of USAID Evaluations, 2013

• Assessing the Quality of Impact Evaluations at USAID, 2020

• DRG Impact Evaluation Retrospective, 2021

Evaluation Utilization

Evaluation is used to systematically collect and analyze data to inform decision-making and contribute to  program effectiveness. Along with monitoring, evaluation contributes evidence, as part of a broader body of information, to improve policy formulation, strategic planning, project and activity design and resource decisions. USAID periodically reviews how evidence from evaluations are used, with some examples including:

• Evaluation Utilization at USAID, 2016

• Strengthening Evidence-based Development, 2011 - 2016

• Meta-Evaluation of Quality and Coverage of USAID Evaluations, 2009 - 2012

Evaluation Resources

The USAID Evaluation Toolkit complements USAID’s Program Cycle Operational Policy (ADS 201) and is regularly updated with the latest Program Cycle guidance, tools and templates for planning, managing, using, and learning from evaluation.

USAID’s publicly available evaluation reports are available on the USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse.