Benefits of Evaluation

Evaluation activities can increase the likelihood that projects will have an impact, so that ecological, social, economic or process improvements will take place.

Promotes adaptive project management:  Evaluation can assist project leaders and participants to make the project more effective.

• Clarifies objectives
• Provides better understanding of the system, its problems/threats and key uncertainties, so that appropriate strategies can be identified and followed
• Helps a project cope with uncertainty and change
• Ensures that project activities are carried out as efficiently as possible
• Ensures that the project is as effective as possible in moving toward objectives
• Improves group dynamics and processes

• Platform for collaboration
• Learning organizations

Demonstrates impact:  Evaluation can build support by documenting success.

• Provides the ability to celebrate successes
• Improves ability to communicate accomplishments to the public – the media, supporters and opponents
• Improves ability to frame effective funding proposals
• Improves ability to demonstrate progress to funders, leading to additional funding
  

Evaluation activities are needed now more than ever.

Deals with complex systems.  Evaluation can help projects cope with the complexity of science and resource management problems.

• Cross-boundary problems:  expanded geographic and time scale
• Enhanced complexity:  need for more information
• Recognition of uncertainty:  need to manage adaptively over
  longer time periods

Deals with changing nature of American society.

• Greater opportunities to challenge decisions and create impasse
• Declining ability to fund activities – government; philanthropic sector
• More focus on outcomes and responsiveness to data-based arguments