MCC-funded evaluations need to follow MCC’s evaluation standards. MCC’s Evaluation Management Guidance was developed after this evaluation started and could have helped to improve its overall quality and relevance. For example, it is important to understand and document the project logic prior to project approval and evaluation planning. MCC’s compact development and evaluation management guidelines now ensure that all projects have a clearly defined project logic that guides project implementation and evaluation objectives. In addition, each evaluation should be designed to answer a comprehensive set of questions. Unfortunately, the methodology used here shifted the focus from the initial evaluation questions to an assessment of whether each component of the Livestock Support activity met the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation criteria. As a result, it is difficult to understand what was accomplished in terms of targeted outcomes. MCC’s evaluation standards also require that a multidisciplinary Evaluation Management Committee review and clear on key evaluation products and decisions. This process is aimed at ensuring MCC-funded evaluations are worth their costs by preventing the kinds of issues encountered here or resolving them early if and when they do arise.
Lesson Learned