The Paris Declaration Evaluation Process and Methods

Abstract

The Paris Declaration Evaluation faced the challenge of assessing the effects of a policy compact between nations, an area in which evaluation thinking and practice is still emergent. It also confronted the challenge of attempting to link development results to the implementation of a broad reform agenda in countries of widely differing circumstances. This article describes how the Core Evaluation Team, in consultation with the management and governance structures of the Evaluation and the evaluation teams involved, addressed these challenges. It describes the development of the evaluation questions, the methodological framework, and how the methodology worked in practice. Highlights include ensuring the use of evidence through evaluation teams; the analysis and synthesis processes; and processes for ensuring independence, integrity, quality, and ethics. Limitations and risks encountered are discussed. Finally, the article sets out lessons learned for complex transnational studies from the Core Evaluation Team perspective.