PROCESS

EVALUATION
Process evaluations focus mainly on internal project or programme issues. They are designed to generate
information, findings and recommendations that can help to improve the management of a project or
programme. Process evaluations are normally carried out during a project or programme, instead of at the
end. Many other kinds of evaluation contain some elements of process evaluation.

Process evaluations focus mainly on internal project or by internal staff (known as self-evaluation) or by external
programme issues. They can be designed to cover a range facilitators. It may be formal or informal in nature. And it
of different areas such as: may be based on existing information or involve the
collection and analysis of new data.
• whether or not activities have been carried out
according to schedules;
• the quality of the work carried out during a project When to use process evaluation
or programme;
• how management policies and practices have A process evaluation can be used in many different
affected that work; circumstances. It is most likely to be used in situations
• how internal capacities and culture have affected where it is important to understand how the internal
the project or programme; dynamics of a project or programme (or organisation) are
affecting, or are likely to affect, the end results. This could
• whether a project or programme has the right
include the following circumstances.
resources to function adequately;
• whether all the planned target populations have  A process evaluation may be used if specific processes
been reached; are considered an essential part of a project or
• how target populations have reacted to the programme’s design. For example, if capacity or
project or programme outputs; and cultural change within supported partners is important
• how external socio-economic factors have affected for ultimate changes to be sustainable. Or if internal
the delivery and quality of the project or changes within an organisation are required as a pre-
programme. condition for successful engagement with other
stakeholders.
A process evaluation can be seen in contrast to an impact
(or outcome) evaluation, which concentrates primarily on  Process evaluations may be carried out where
the changes brought about by a project or programme. In organisations are engaged in implementing pilot or
practice, many evaluations contain elements of both innovative projects or programmes. This is because it is
impact / outcome and process evaluation. However, an often important to understand how any desired
evaluation is only likely to be called a process evaluation if changes came about, so that successful projects and
the focus in primarily on internal processes. programmes can be replicated or extended. In these
cases a process evaluation may attempt to identify the
Process evaluations are almost always formative in nature. internal practices or processes that were important in
This means they are designed to generate information, bringing about positive change.
findings and recommendations that help to improve a
project or programme. For this reason, process evaluations  Process evaluations may be appropriate in large,
are normally carried out during a project or programme, complex interventions, where there are many actors
instead of at the end. However, in some situations they working towards the same goals. In these
may be carried out at the end of a project or programme: circumstances a process evaluation might attempt to
for example, if the project or programme is about to enter assess how different organisations are working
a new phase, or an organisation wants to learn from one together, and what changes are needed to improve the
project or programme in order to influence similar effectiveness of the collaborations.
interventions elsewhere.  A process evaluation could be carried out if there are
serious doubts about whether a project or programme
Process evaluations may be major exercises carried out at is being implemented properly, or how far initial,
key times, such as the mid-point of a project or required changes are being achieved. The process
programme. However, it is also possible to carry out evaluation might help identify whether a project or
smaller, more regular process evaluations throughout a programme is not working because it is not being
project or programme. This kind of process evaluation may implemented properly, or because the theory
be very similar to an internal review. It may be conducted underlying the project or programme is wrong.
© INTRAC 2017
As stated above, however, a process evaluation may be up by interviews, focus group discussions, observation and
carried out in almost any circumstance. And many kinds of questionnaires.
evaluation focus partly on process issues, even if they are
not formally called process evaluations. Perhaps the most importance difference is that the primary
users of a process evaluation are often the management
and staff of the organisation (or organisations) concerned,
How it works rather than the targeted beneficiaries. This means it is
important to ensure that these internal staff have a large
There are no fixed steps for a process evaluation, and the degree of input into the design of the evaluation, including
same basic steps should be taken as for any evaluation. In helping to define the evaluation questions.
general, a process evaluation would not be expected to use
rigorous methodologies such as randomised control trials There is little point in carrying out a process evaluation
(RCTs), qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) or unless the findings will be used to improve performance in
contribution analysis. Instead process evaluations tend to the future. It is therefore important that a process
rely on simple methods of data collection such as literature evaluation properly considers at the start how any findings
reviews (financial records, policy documents etc.) backed and recommendations will be used, and who will primarily
be responsible for using them.

Further reading and resources

Other relevant papers in this section of the M&E Universe can be found by clicking on the links below.

Evaluation Types of evaluation

Impact evaluation Reviews

The Better Evaluation website (www.betterevaluation.org) contains the largest set of resources in the world covering evaluation
in the social development sector. The site offers step-by-step guidance for those managing or implementing evaluations.
Experienced evaluators, or those with an interest in evaluation, are recommended to go to that site and search through the
different materials.

Author(s): INTRAC is a not-for-profit organisation that builds the skills and knowledge of civil society
INTRAC organisations to be more effective in addressing poverty and inequality. Since 1992 INTRAC has
provided specialist support in monitoring and evaluation, working with people to develop their own
M&E approaches and tools, based on their needs. We encourage appropriate and practical M&E,
based on understanding what works in different contexts.

INTRAC Training M&E Universe

M&E Training & Consultancy M&E Universe
We support skills development and learning on a range of For more papers in
INTRAC’s team ofhigh
themes through M&E specialists
quality offer consultancy
and engaging and
face-to-face, For
themore
M&Epapers in
Universe
training in all aspects of M&E, from core
online and tailor-made training and coaching.skills development the series
M&E Universe
click the
through to the design of complex M&E systems. series
homeclick the
button
Email: training@intrac.org Tel: +44 (0)1865 201851 home button
Email: info@intrac.org Tel: +44 (0)1865 201851

© INTRAC 2017