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Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation

With a Foreword by Michael Bamberger

  • Book
  • © 2013

Overview

Authors:
  1. Apollo M. Nkwake

    1. World Vision, Inc., Washington, USA

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  • Provides tools for understanding effective development programming and quality program evaluations
  • Contains workshop materials for graduate students and in-service training for development evaluators
  • The author brings together more than 12 years of experience in evaluation of international development programs

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Apollo M. Nkwake
    Pages 1-6

  3. Designing and Evaluating Complex Development Programs

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7
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    2. Attributes of Complex Development Programs

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 9-24

    3. Designing Complex Development Programs

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 25-50

    4. Evaluating Complex Development Programs

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 51-61

  4. Evaluation Theory and Assumptions

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63
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    2. Theory in Evaluation

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 65-79

    3. What are Assumptions?

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 81-91

    4. Why are Assumptions Important?

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 93-111

  5. Explicating Tacit Program Assumptions

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 113-113
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    2. Diagnostic Assumptions

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 115-128

    3. Prescriptive Assumptions

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 129-139

    4. Transformational Assumptions

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 141-159

  6. Conclusions

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 161-161
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    2. Evaluating Assumptions

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 163-175

    3. Challenges of Explicating Assumptions

      • Apollo M. Nkwake
      Pages 177-182

  7. Back Matter

    Pages 183-184
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Keywords

About this book

​ A major reason complex programs are so difficult to evaluate is that the assumptions that inspire them are poorly articulated. Stakeholders of such programs are often unclear about how the change process will unfold. Thus, it is so difficult to reasonably anticipate the early and midterm changes that need to happen in order for a longer-term goalto be reached. The lack of clarity about the “mini-steps” that must be taken to reach a long-term outcome not only makes the task of evaluating a complex initiative challenging, but reduces the likelihood that all of the important factors related to the long term goal will be addressed. Most of the resources that have attempted to address this dilemma have been popularized as theory of change or sometimes program theory approaches. Although these approaches emphasize and elaborate the sequence of changes/mini steps that lead to the long-term goal of interest and the connections between program activities and outcomes that occur at each step of the way, they do not do enough to clarify how program managers or evaluators should deal with assumptions. Assumptions, the glue that holds all the pieces together, remain abstract and far from applicable. In this book the author tackles this important assumptions theme head-on-covering a breadth of ground from the epistemology of development assumptions, to the art of making logical assumptions as well as recognizing, explicit zing and testing assumptions with in an elaborate program theory from program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Authors and Affiliations

  • World Vision, Inc., Washington, USA

    Apollo M. Nkwake

About the author

Apollo is a researcher with 12 years experience in evaluation of international development programs. He has led evaluation and strategy work for World Vision, Unicef, USAID, World Bank, Compassion International, among others. He is strong in conceptualization, methodology (quantitative and qualitative approaches) and documentation (more than 20 publications). He holds a PhD in Social Development from University of Cape Town.

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