Rapid appraisal methods are quick,
low-cost ways to gather the views and feedback of
beneficiaries and other
stakeholders, in order to respond to decision-makers’ needs for
information.
Use
-
Providing rapid information for
management decision-making, especially at the
project or program level.
-
Providing qualitative
understanding of complex socioeconomic changes, highly
interactive social
situations, or people’s values, motivations, and reactions.
-
Providing context and
interpretation for quantitative data collected by more formal
methods.
Methods
Questionnaire:
A structured questionnaire with a limited number of closed ended
questions that is administered to a number of people (50–75).
Selection of respondents may be random or ‘purposive’
Key informant interview:
a series of open-ended
questions posed to individuals selected for their knowledge and
experience in a topic of interest. Interviews are qualitative,
in-depth, and semi-structured. They rely on interview guides that list
topics or questions.
Focus group discussion:
a facilitated discussion
among 8–12 carefully selected participants with similar backgrounds.
Participants might be beneficiaries or program staff, for example. The
facilitator uses a discussion guide. Note-takers record comments and
observations.
Direct observation:
use of a detailed
observation form to record what is seen and heard at a program site.
The information may be about ongoing activities, processes,
discussions, social interactions, and observable results.
Impact evaluation is the systematic
identification of the effects – positive or negative, intended or not
on individual households, institutions, and the environment caused by
a given development activity such as a program or project. Impact
evaluation helps us better understand the extent to which activities
reach the poor and the magnitude of their effects on people’s welfare.
Impact evaluations can range from large scale sample surveys in which
project populations and control groups are compared before and after,
and possibly at several points during program intervention; to
small-scale rapid assessment and participatory appraisals where
estimates of impact are obtained from combining group interviews, key
informants, case studies and available secondary data.
Use
-
Measuring outcomes and impacts of
an activity and distinguishing these from the influence of other, external
factors.
-
Helping to clarify whether costs
for an activity are justified.
-
Informing decisions on whether to
expand, modify or eliminate projects, programs or policies
-
Drawing lessons for improving the
design and management of future activities.
-
Comparing the effectiveness of
alternative interventions.
-
Strengthening accountability for
results.
Methods
The four approaches to impact
evaluation designs in development evaluation include the following:
Randomized pre-test post-test
evaluation:
This involves the
collection of information on project and control groups at two or more
points in time. It provides the most rigorous statistical
analysis of project impacts and the
contribution of other factors. But in practice it is
rarely possible to use the design
for reasons of cost, time, methodological or ethical
constraints.
Quasi-experimental design:
This is whereby a "non-equivalent" control group is selected to match
as closely as possible the characteristics of the project population.
Ex-post comparison of project
and non-equivalent control group:
the project population is compared
with a non-equivalent control group after the project has been
implemented.
Rapid assessment evaluation:
This combines group interviews, key informants, case studies and
secondary data.
There are various other approaches and methods that are used in
monitoring and evaluation of projects. These include but not limited
to formal surveys, performance indicators approach,
Theory-based evaluation, Participatory methods and
Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness
analysis. The choice of the approach or method to use depends upon a
number of factors: Cost, time and skills required.
Baker, J. (2000). Evaluating
the Poverty Impact of Projects: A Handbook for Practitioners.
GTZ (1997).
ZOPP: Objectives-Oriented Project
Planning:
http://www.unhabitat.org/cdrom/governance/html/books/zopp_e.pdf
Kumar, K. (1993). Rapid
Appraisal Methods. The
World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Roche, C. (1999)
Impact Assessment for Development
Agencies: Learning to Value
Change.
Oxfam, Oxford.
USAID.
Performance Monitoring and
Evaluation Tips, #s 2,
4, 5, 10:
http://www.usaid.gov/pubs/usaid_eval/#02
World Bank . Impact evaluation.
http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/impact/
World Bank (2000).
The Logframe Handbook,
World Bank:
http://wbln1023/OCS/Quality.nsf/Main/MELFHandBook/$File/LFhandbook.pdf
World Bank. D. C. http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/library/impact.h
