Impact Evaluation filters the changes that occurred through Project Implementation.
Impact evaluation is an essential part of any project implementation process in built within the overall monitoring and evaluation frame-work. Impact evaluation sees through the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability aspects of the project implementation. Impact evaluation could be both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The project Logical frame-work serves as a reference point for impact evaluation. The impact evaluation will systematically follow a result chain formulated out of logical frame-work and containing highly aggregated impact, indirect impact, outcomes, intermediate outcomes, outputs, activities and inputs. Impact evaluation captures long term benefit –positive, negative, intended and unintended. Base line data is essential ingredient in formulating impact study in order to compare and estimate the desired changes before and after project.
The determination of future direction of any project is dependent on the impact evaluation findings and leanings. The impact evaluation is necessary for higher level management decisions-such as scaling up an initiative, copying it in other areas, or designing substantial changes in approach within the on-going structures of the project. Appropriate indicators are used to conduct impact evaluation.
Any impact evaluation when appropriately designed and implemented will focus on true and real picture of the project implementation overtime. On the other hand a wrongly designed and formulated impact evaluation will give wrong and distorted picture of project implementation status often leading to misleading decision making by the project management.
Justifiably it is necessary to design and implement the impact evaluation by professionally skilled personnel if optimum result is expected out of it. Click here for support.