The Evaluation of Socio-Economic Development

THE EVALUATION OF

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The GUIDE

December 2003

Tavistock Institute
in association with:
GHK
IRS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1
PART 1 THE CONTRIBUTION OF EVALUATION TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 5
  1.1 THE BENEFITS OF EVALUATION 5
  1.2 INTRODUCING EVALUATION: HISTORY AND PURPOSE 10
  1.3 METHODS AND THEIR ROOTS 17
  1.4 EVALUATION TO STRENGTHEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 24
  1.5   GOLDEN RULES 35
PART 2 DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING EVALUATION FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 38
  2.1 DESIGNING AND PLANNING YOUR EVALUATION 38
  2.2 IMPLEMENTING AND MANAGING EVALUATIONS 56
  2.4 GOLDEN RULES 81
PART 3 DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS 84
  3.1 DEVELOPING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY 84
  3.4   GOLDEN RULES 100
PART 4 CHOOSING METHODS, TECHNIQUES AND INDICATORS AND USING EVIDENCE IN EVALUATION 103
  4.1 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHOICE OF METHOD, TECHNIQUES, DATA AND EVIDENCE 103
  4.2 METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTERVENTIONS 109
  4.3 METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR DIFFERENT EVALUATION PURPOSES 115
  4.4 METHODS AND TECHNIQUES APPLICABLE AT DIFFERENT PROGRAMMES/POLICY STAGES 117
  4.5 METHODS AND TECHNIQUES APPLICABLE TO DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS 120
  4.6 ACQUIRING AND USING DATA IN EVALUATION 123
  4.7 CREATING INDICATORS AND INDICATOR SYSTEMS 127
  4.8 USING INDICATORS TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT 140
  4.9 GOLDEN RULES 146

Annexes:
Annex A The Main Stages of Evaluation
Annex B Changes in Structural Fund regulations

INTRODUCTION

This GUIDE, is intended for those involved in the evaluation of socio-economic development in Europe.   It is a successor to the MEANS collection (methods for evaluating structural policies). Whilst the GUIDE has a specific focus on evaluation within European Structural Funds, it is not confined to the evaluation of these interventions.   Socio economic development is, after all, strongly featured in many national... [continues]

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