A Bumpy Journey to Evaluation Capacity

A Case Study of Evaluation Capacity Building in a Private Foundation

Abstract

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) processes were explored through a case study of the ECB efforts of a private foundation that had solid financial resources, intelligent staff, an internal evaluation officer, and access to prominent evaluation consultants. The overarching research question was: What are the factors that affect the ECB process in an organization? The research design included in-depth interviews, surveys, document analysis, and observations involving a sample of the foundation staff and external consultants. This article illuminates the complexity of the organization’s experiences with building evaluation capacity and provides insights on what must be considered when developing a viable evaluation function in organizations.