PROJECT MANAGEMENT MANUAL Contents - Fokus

11. EVALUATIONSAn evaluation shall cover the following aims: Control implementation of a project/programme and document the resultsachieved Improve FOKUS‟ capacity for experienced based learning, as well as generatebetter knowledge and management Be a tool for the further development and improvement of a project, in addition totransferring experience and learning to others Substantiate the choices Norwegian organizations are faced with when theydecide whether support shall continue, be ended or changed Find out if recourses are being used correctly and efficiently for the agreed goalsand that the various partners participating are mutually meeting their obligationsEvaluations can be carried out at both project and programme level. A programmecan be geographically defined and contain several projects in a country or a region,or it can be thematically defined (e.g. an evaluation of all FGM projects supported byFOKUS).The various aims demand different forms of evaluation, i.e. different emphasis inrelation to planning and completion. A realistic balance between the questions asked,the means and the time given to evaluation is important.Evaluation is not a goal in itself. The focus of all evaluation should be for the actualusers and their need for information. A good assignment description must clarify thefollowing to meet this demand: Who has ordered the evaluation? Who will use the results? What are the results going to be used for?An evaluation is a systematic and independent appraisal of a project or a programme(thematic or geographical) made up of several projects in relation to questions ofrelevance, goal achievement, results, cost and sustainability. An evaluation can becarried out in all phases of a project. Even independent evaluations assumeactive participation from the partners in all phases. The degree of participationdepends on the type of evaluation.In addition to evaluation, there must be a regular appraisal of the project/programme.Are the plans followed as agreed or are there large discrepancies? How can theproblems be solved? Asking questions will give information and feedback duringprogress and will be consequently an important source for reporting anddocumentation. This method is also a tool to change/adapt a project/programme sothat problems and limitations are identified early. Annual plans and reports whichgive time, dimensions and budgets are the basis for evaluations.23