Alternative Approaches to Evaluating Peacebuilding Initiatives

This paper reflects on the use of evaluative approaches to peacebuilding and why they are
important as alternatives to formal evaluations. The authors provide a brief overview of the
state of the art in peacebuilding evaluation and share lessons derived from CDA’s recent
experiences implementing Program Quality Assessments (PQA) and Evaluability Assessments
(EA). Both assessment frameworks were adapted for peacebuilding programs and integrate tools from CDA’s Reflecting on Peace Practice Program (RPP). In addition, the authors also reflect on methods for monitoring and evaluating conflict-sensitivity as well as on the use of feedback mechanisms as additional approaches to improve program quality and to support accountability. The paper identifies several areas for further research and inquiry.