EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - How to Evaluate a Project

How to Evaluate a Project

Introduction

This paper describes why evaluation is important, key elements in evaluation and what evaluation might cover, including impact on key themes, ways of working, overall effectiveness, resident satisfaction and sustainability.

Problem

This paper addresses the need for informed evaluation of local schemes and projects and examines how to ensure that they are conducted in the most effective way.

Description

This paper recognises the challenges to evaluation within local schemes and projects and reports that there is a need to establish a culture of evaluation locally – so that everyone concerned recognises its value.

The paper examines key concepts for evaluation and also the purpose for conducting evaluations. There is also a checklist for things to think about when conducting evaluations.

Approach

The paper goes through the problems around evaluation, the causes, approaches that have been tried in the past, a checklist for undertaking evaluation and references for further information.

Results

The guide concludes that the following needs to be taken into consideration when conducting a local evaluation:

think about evaluation from an early stage,
build a culture of evaluation,
ensure evaluation covers key themes a scheme or project is targeting,
involve the local community and use evaluation to shape work in progress and to inform forward strategies and other local developments.

Beneficiaries

Local schemes and projects

Contact info

Regen West Midlands
enquiries@regenwm.org

Project start date

//2007

Links

Visit the Regen West Midlands website

Download the 'How to Evaluate a Project' Report (DOC, Eng, 73 KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment

Keywords

Research & innovation