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Guideline
Impact Evaluation Guideline
Impact Evaluation Guideline
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Guideline on
Impact
Evaluation
Addressed to Government departments who are undertaking evaluations (programme managers and M&E staff) as well as
evaluators of government programmes and policies.
Purpose The purpose of this Guideline is to provide technical guidance on planning, undertaking and managing an
Impact Evaluation to evaluators and commissioners of evaluations.
Policy reference This guideline should be read in conjunction with the National Evaluation Policy Framework, 2019
(available on the DPME website).
Contact person
for this guideline
Evaluation Unit
E-mail: evaluations@dpme.gov.za | Tel: 012 312 0162
DPME Evaluation Guideline 2.2.13
Created March 2014
Updated: March 2024
Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................2
2. Purpose and rationale for the Guideline ......................2
3. Definition of Impact Evaluation .....................................3
4. Impact Evaluation: Conceptual Clarity.........................4
5. Ideal conditions for conducting impact evaluations 6
6. Purpose of impact evaluations ......................................6
7. Key elements of designing an impact evaluation –
using a Decision Tree........................................................7
7.1 Using a Decision Tree ...................................................7
7.2 Decision Tree for Selecting Evaluation Design to
Deal with Selection Bias ............................................. 8
8. Typical Impact Evaluation questions ................................8
9. Methodological Approaches to Answer Policy
Relevant Questions ...........................................................9
9.1. Selecting the evaluation approach ........................... 9
9.2. Designing the baseline survey .................................. 9
10. Choosing the appropriate design and methods ......... 11
10.1 Experimental and quasi-experimental methods . 11
10.2 Alternative and complimentary methods ........... 13
11. Planning, Prioritizing, Implementing and Managing
Impact Evaluation ........................................................... 14
11.1. Undertaking an Evaluability Assessment ..............14
Guideline on
Impact
Evaluation
Addressed to Government departments who are undertaking evaluations (programme managers and M&E staff) as well as
evaluators of government programmes and policies.
Purpose The purpose of this Guideline is to provide technical guidance on planning, undertaking and managing an
Impact Evaluation to evaluators and commissioners of evaluations.
Policy reference This guideline should be read in conjunction with the National Evaluation Policy Framework, 2019
(available on the DPME website).
Contact person
for this guideline
Evaluation Unit
E-mail: evaluations@dpme.gov.za | Tel: 012 312 0162
DPME Evaluation Guideline 2.2.13
Created March 2014
Updated: March 2024
Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................2
2. Purpose and rationale for the Guideline ......................2
3. Definition of Impact Evaluation .....................................3
4. Impact Evaluation: Conceptual Clarity.........................4
5. Ideal conditions for conducting impact evaluations 6
6. Purpose of impact evaluations ......................................6
7. Key elements of designing an impact evaluation –
using a Decision Tree........................................................7
7.1 Using a Decision Tree ...................................................7
7.2 Decision Tree for Selecting Evaluation Design to
Deal with Selection Bias ............................................. 8
8. Typical Impact Evaluation questions ................................8
9. Methodological Approaches to Answer Policy
Relevant Questions ...........................................................9
9.1. Selecting the evaluation approach ........................... 9
9.2. Designing the baseline survey .................................. 9
10. Choosing the appropriate design and methods ......... 11
10.1 Experimental and quasi-experimental methods . 11
10.2 Alternative and complimentary methods ........... 13
11. Planning, Prioritizing, Implementing and Managing
Impact Evaluation ........................................................... 14
11.1. Undertaking an Evaluability Assessment ..............14
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