Lessons Learned and the Contributions of the Paris Declaration Evaluation to Evaluation Theory and Practice

Abstract

The final event of the Paris Declaration Evaluation was a lessons-learned workshop. This article first highlights the lessons about joint evaluations identified by participants in that workshop with the resulting report being a model of how to bring closure to a major evaluation. The article then presents 10 contributions of the Paris Declaration Evaluation to evaluation theory and practice. The article closes by recognizing that the Paris Declaration Evaluation received the 2012 American Evaluation Association (AEA) Outstanding Evaluation Award, which noted, “The success of the Evaluation required an unusually skilled, knowledgeable and committed evaluation team; a visionary, well-organized, and well-connected Secretariat to manage the logistics, international stakeholder meetings, and financial accounts; and a highly competent and respected Management Group to provide oversight and ensure the Evaluation’s independence and integrity. This was an extraordinary partnership where all involved understood their roles and carried out their responsibilities fully and effectively.”