Evaluation Series | Evaluation and the Activity Cycle
How Evaluation Relates to the Activity Cycle
On this page
Key evaluative activities at each stage of the activity cycle
Identification and design stage
Purpose
Identify and design relevant activities that are feasible and consistent with programming priorities
Key Evaluative Activites
- Appraisal
- Needs assessment
- Literature review / desk study
- Situation analysis
- Poverty analysis
- Scoping study
- Feasibility study
- Development of programme theory/logic
- Revisit previous evaluations
- Planning for monitoring and evaluation
Implementation stage
Purpose
Provide facilitation, support and feedback to the implementing partner; ensure feedback for accountability and improvement and learning
Key Evaluative Activites
- Monitoring
- Review
Completion stage
Purpose
Ensure feedback for accountability, improvement and learning
Key Evaluative Activites
- Evaluation
NZAID’s approach to activity cycle management consists of regular higher-level programming stages to define major policies and strategies, followed by the identification and design of specific activities and their implementation. Implementation generally consists of a number of annual cycles with a completion phase associated with the last of these cycles. The completion phase may also serve as a preparation for a new phase of the activity, or as a transition to a new or re-designed activity. Evaluative activities are conducted as an integral part of each of these stages (Fig. 1).
- Figure 1. Evaluative activities and learning as an integral part of the Activity Cycle
Learning Opportunities in the Activity Cycle
The activity cycle affords many opportunities for learning about activity elements and supporting their readjustment. Progress, achievements and issues relating to NZAID-supported interventions should be discussed on a regular basis.
Learning is important throughout the lifecycle of a development intervention. Evaluative activities contribute to a reflective culture in which NZAID and its partners learn from successes, failures and the work of others to ensure on-going improvement and maximum impact. Learning depends on effective integration of findings from evaluative activities into on-going planning and decision-making. Learning should translate into improvement of NZAID’s strategies and portfolio of activities. There are two main aspects to such learning:
- Learning about what has worked for whom and in which circumstances (i.e. development impact)
- Organisational learning about NZAID and partners’ management of the initiative or process (i.e. what improvements can be made to improve relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability)