Evaluation Principles and Practices

The purpose of this document is to advance the Foundation’s existing work so
that our evaluation practices become more consistent across the organization.
We hope to create more common understanding of our philosophy, purpose,
and expectations regarding evaluation as well as clarify staff roles and available
support. With more consistency and shared understanding, we expect
less wheel re-creation across program areas, greater learning from each other’s
efforts, and faster progress in designing meaningful evaluations and applying
the results.
The following paper is organized into four substantive sections: (1) Principles,
(2) Organizational Roles, (3) Practice Guide, and (4) Special Evaluation
Cases. Supporting documents include a glossary of terms (Appendix A). The
Principles and Organizational Roles should be fairly enduring, while the
Practice Guide should be regularly updated with new examples, tools, and
refined guidance based on lessons we learn as we design, implement, and use
evaluations in our work.