Report on Awareness and use of guidelines and templates

Evaluation guidelines and templates are developed to close the gaps of various challenges outlined in the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF), 2019 such as limited state capacity to undertake evaluations, lengthy evaluation processes and mainstreaming critical issues affecting vulnerable groups were not prioritised in evaluations. The guidelines and templates provide a structured framework of the evaluation processes to enhance the reliability and credibility of evaluations and ensures that evaluations are conducted in a consistent, rigorous, and fair manner. Consistency and fairness in the evaluation process, allows for objective and unbiased assessments. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) through the Chief Directorate Evaluation develops and continuously review and update evaluation guidelines and templates to outline the standards against which an evaluation should be conducted. The aim is to provide common understanding of what is expected and provide a basis for comparison across different evaluations. A need to undertake a survey in order to determine the awareness, utilisation and usefulness of evaluation guidelines and templates was identified at the strategic planning session on the unit held in March 2023. This document outlines how the survey was undertaken, the findings, provides a conclusion and recommendations thereof.