‘Real-Time Evaluation’, monitoring and evaluation for adaptive management

Real-time evaluation (RTE) has been practised and documented over the past 20 years, initially in humanitarian projects. There is now increasing interest in learning from this experience to inform evaluations in other areas, especially in development. There remains considerable variation in how real-time evaluation is understood and implemented.

Different definitions have included one or more of the following features:
1. Real-time (or more current) data collection
2. Real-time (or rapid) reporting back of evaluation data
3. Multiple timings of evaluative activity
4. Support for different types of learning - single-loop, double-loop, and triple-loop
5. Engaging different users together in dialogue for sensemaking and action planning