Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
EVALUATION CAPACITY – A TOOL FOR SELF ASSESSMENT
Evaluation capacity - the ability to continuously ask questions
about quality and value - and to collect, analyze, interpret and
synthesise evidence, and then use evaluative findings for decisionmaking and action.
1.
Evaluative thinking requires us to take as open an evaluative
approach as possible, without imposing personal values and views
on whatever is being evaluated. Just because we may like, support
or identify with a project or initiative’s values and philosophy does
not mean that a ‘good job’ is being done. Being evaluative requires
us to engage in careful and in-depth consideration of the evidence
and its reasonable, and reasoned, interpretation.
2.
Characteristics of evaluative thinking and reasoning include:

Thinking explicitly about the quality, value and importance of
things

Thinking explicitly about how we arrive at our judgments about
value and quality

Thinking about not just ‘using evidence’ but ‘using evidence to
make an estimation of quality, value and importance’

Thinking explicitly about what is not evident or present

Thinking explicitly about unintended or side effects

Thinking explicitly about not just “what is” but “what is the
value of?.”
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluation Capacity
3.
An organisation’s evaluation capacity is often thought about as ‘another’ isolated dimension of organisational capacity. In reality, it is
made up from a range of capabilities found within other core sets of organisational capacities. Evaluative capacity can however be further
categorised into three core sets of capabilities:
Demand based capabilties
These include such capabilities as organisational learning culture, leadership, evaluative attitudes and mindsets, etc
Supply based capabilities
These include such capabilities as people’s skills and experience doing and using evaluation, using data and analytical tools and systems
such as databases etc
System and structural based capabilities
These include capabilities such as whether an outcome framework exists, the extent to which time and resource has been allocated and is
made available for evalutaive thinking and practice, the level of infrastructure that exists for storing, using and reporting data etc.
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluative
Emergent development
Beginning development
Consolidating
Maturity
Capability
(oops)
(compliance)
development
(continous
(competency)
improvement)
DEMAND CAPABILITIES
Leadership
Any monitoring,
Leadership recognizes the
Leadership sets a direction
Leadership shares a clear
evaluation or performance
need to comply and
for performance
vision for performance,
development is generated
ensure that this is
development and
results, improvement and
by individuals. There is no
achieved
encourages stakeholders
development;
to participate
demonstrates a
encouragement or support
available.
commitment to learning
and models an insatiable
curiosity to improve
Attitude to
Any questioning of the
Investigation, learning
Performance development
Performance improvement
investigation,
status quo is seen as
and risk taking are all
is championed by
and development is seen
learning, risk
adverse. New ideas are
limited to ‘have to’s’ to be
champions, but is not part
as a challenging
taking and
discouraged, and looking
compliant with external
of the culture of the
adventure. Information
change
outward for learning is
requirements
organization. Some
and ideas are constantly
hesitancy with risk taking
being explored and sought
and change
out
viewed with suspicion
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluative
Emergent development
Beginning development
Consolidating
Maturity
Capability
(oops)
(compliance)
development
(continous
(competency)
improvement)
SUPPLY CAPABILITIES
Evaluative
Very little time for
Some time for strategic
Strategic thinking and
Strategic thinking and
skills,
strategic thinking and
thinking and reflection but
reflection is informal and
reflection processes are
competencies
reflection, most of the
this stretches resources
irregular, but can be
formalised and performed
and experience
work is day-to-day,
and takes people away
completed without taking
regularly without taking
responding to immediate
from responding to
people away from
staff away from dealing
needs; staff have no or
immediate needs, staff
responding to immediate
with immediate needs;
very little evaluative
are interested in
needs; some staff are
The leadership and staff of
experience or skills
evaluative thinking and
trained in some areas of
the organisation is
practice, but skill
evaluative skills,
evaluatively ‘savvy’, using
development is often not
particularly those focused
evaluative data to inform
prioritised
on external reporting and
learning and decisions and
compliance
there are experienced
staff able to undertake
evaluative work and
studies for the
organisation
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluative
Emergent development
Beginning development
Consolidating
Maturity
Capability
(oops)
(compliance)
development
(continous
(competency)
improvement)
STRUCTURE AND SYSTEM CAPABILITIES
Outcomes
Any monitoring or
Outcomes are measured
Outcomes are measured
Desired outcomes have
framework
evaluation is based on
for compliance purposes
and are used to reflect on
been negotiated with
inputs and outputs
and are not used as a
the performance of the
stakeholders, are clearly
framework for
service, programme or
stated, linked to a theory
performance development
organisation
of change, and are
supported by resources to
facilitate their delivery.
Measurement of outcomes
is used to drive service
development
Performance
There are no performance
Staff and service users
Staff and service users
Inputs, outputs and
indicators for
indicators or goals stated
have goals. If they are
have goals that are
outcomes expected by
individuals and
or expected for people,
measured, then this
regularly measured.
people, systems and
programmes
systems or programmes
occurs a maximum of 6
Standardised performance
programmes are clearly
monthly
indicators are in
stated in a measureable
development
way, are benchmarked
and are supported by
resources to facilitate
their delivery
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluative
Emergent development
Beginning development
Consolidating
Maturity
Capability
(oops)
(compliance)
development
(continous
(competency)
improvement)
Systematised
Any monitoring,
Monitoring, evaluation and
The performance of staff,
Accountability is clear and
monitoring,
evaluation and reporting
reporting are compliant
activities, programmes,
exercised throughout the
evaluation and
is ad hoc and goes no
with standards
projects, systems and
organization. Each staff
reporting
further than the direct
processes are regularly
member, activity,
manager
reviewed, evaluated and
programme, project,
reported
system and process is
regularly reviewed,
evaluated and
appropriately reported to
maximize learning and
development
Information
Information is collected by
Information is collected
Information is recorded,
All key information is
systems
paper and not referred to
and extracted to be
stored and extracted, and
recorded, stored and can
again
compliant with
is used to reflect on
be extracted to inform
requirements
performance of people
monitoring, evaluation
services and programmes
and reporting by
stakeholders, staff and
management
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Evaluation Capacity Assessment Template (not for distribution)
Evaluative
Emergent development
Beginning development
Consolidating
Maturity
Capability
(oops)
(compliance)
development
(continous
(competency)
improvement)
Organisational
Organisational structures
Organisational structures
Organisational structures
Organisational structures
structures and
and systems do not
and systems are mostly
and systems support
and systems support
systems
support or deliver
able to support and
systematic, regular
systematic, regular
monitoring, evaluation or
deliver monitoring,
monitoring and evaluative
monitoring and evaluative
performance development
evaluation and
activity at most levels of
activity at all levels of the
performance development
the organisation. They
organisation. Stakeholder
in order that the
also often support shared
voices are amplified and
organization is compliant
learning and performance
used to orientate
with standards and
development in line with
planning. Time, support
contracts
new evidence and
and resource are available
knowledge
to support shared learning
and sustain improvement.
Regular forums allow for
shared learning and quest
for performance
improvement
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