Learning from Evaluation Misadventures

The Importance of Good Communication

Abstract

Good communication is a key factor affecting the success of evaluation in many ways. This article presents four examples from a variety of government and international organizations illustrating communication-gone-wrong, and often evaluation management-gone-wrong. The article discusses what can be learned from these situations in order to provide for more effective communication in other evaluation contexts, and thereby enhancing the relevance, quality, and use of evaluation. This article highlights the implications of these experiences for effective project management of overall evaluation functions as well as of specific evaluations.