Your Guide to Project Management Best Practices

Project Evaluation Planning: The General Guidelines

MyMG Team 9 years ago

Evaluating a project means performing a rigorous analysis of

completed goals, objectives and activities to determine whether the
project has produced planned results, delivered expected benefits, and
made desired change. As a process, project evaluation takes a series of
steps to identify and measure the outcomes and impacts resulted from
project completion. In this article, let’s find out how to evaluate
projects, what indicators to consider, and how to design a project evaluation plan.

Indicators
The project evaluation process involves an analysis of different components or indicators
that characterize the project’s progress towards the achievement of its goals and objectives.
These components/indicators are Outcomes and Impacts.

Outcomes

These are any measurable and auditable changes that can be obtained as a result of the
project’s successful accomplishment. They determine the extent to which the identified
problems have been mitigated, resolved, or eliminated.

In terms of project evaluation and management, outcomes define the measurable results and
benefits that are observable within the targeted environment once the project is done. They
serve as the general indicator of project progress towards successful implementation of
project goals and objectives. Outcomes describe short-term and medium-term effects
generated by the project.

Several examples of project outcomes are:

New skills and competencies obtained by personnel

Improved knowledge
Increased understanding of business environment
 Proactive participation in decision making

Impacts

These are the indicator of changes that can be specifically linked to the project’s
implementation activity. Impacts determine and measure the extent to which goals and
objectives of the project are achieved.

In terms of project evaluation and management, impacts define the tangible and intangible
effects (consequences) of the project upon the environment in which this project is
implemented. They measure the change made by the project and show how close the goals
and objectives are achieved.

Some examples of project impacts are as follows:

Increased quality of a product/service

Decreased incidence of diseases in the targeted region
Higher number of students wishing to obtain master degree
Enhanced productivity of personnel

The key difference between impacts and outcomes is that impacts produce a long-term,
lasting effect that is observable for months and years after project completion.

The project implementation process is carried out in a step-by-step and consistent manner,
which means there is a series of actions or stages that can describe the project from a
strategic point of view. Project implementation can be presented as a series of the following
consistent stages:

Goals
Objectives
Activities
Outcomes
Impacts

The series is dependent on time, which is the key constraint that defines the sequence of the
implementation process. In this context, the purpose of project evaluation is to disclose the
relationships between outcomes and impacts of a project and to find out whether the project
is completed on time.
Evaluation Plan
Exploration and analyzing of the relationships between project outcomes, impacts, goals,
objectives, and activities can be managed under a project evaluation plan. Such a plan
provides a set of tools to measure progress in implementing the project and its key
components, such as goals, objectives, and activities. A project evaluation plan also focuses
on assessing project effectiveness and efficiency through exploring and analyzing the
outcomes and impacts.

A Project Evaluation Plan is a detailed document that defines and sets forth practices
and sequence of activities for analyzing and examining the project by certain evaluation
criteria. This document aims to determine project effectiveness and efficiency through
tracking progress on each objective, completion of activities, and dates of completion.

There is no exact number of indicators or evaluation criteria that must be used in evaluating
projects. There is also no predefined set of activities for running the evaluation, because
every project is unique and has certain goals and objectives.

In designing a project evaluation plan, we recommend the following general guidelines for
project evaluation:

Step #1. Identify outcome and impact

You can use status of the goals and objectives of your project as the framework for project
evaluation. Achievement of a goal or objective is achieved creates certain short- or middle-
term results and benefits, which are outcomes. Through measuring outcomes you can
understand the extent of goal achievement.

Outcomes generate certain long-term effects which are impacts. Through evaluating project
impacts you can identify the project overall effect on the environment it’s targeted to.

Step #2. Choose evaluation method

What project evaluation method will be used to measure outcomes and impacts? In your
evaluation plan you need to include a method that helps determine whether the goals and
objectives are completed and whether the project generates desired change. Your evaluation
method will focus on results and benefits (outcomes) as well as effects (impacts).

Here’re several examples of methods you can include in your project evaluation plan
template:

Implementation reviews
Surveys
Questionnaires
Focus groups
Records analysis
Interviews

Step #3. Report on the evaluation

The final item in our guidelines for project evaluation is about reviewing the work done and
creating a project evaluation report. Such a report includes your conclusions about the
project’s ability to produce desired change and accomplishing preset goals and objectives.

Using evaluation criteria, you must explore whether your project was undertaken in a
manner consistent with the original plan and whether project activities contributed to
project success. In other words, you need to confirm whether goals and objectives are fully
achieved during the course of the project and whether desired outcomes and impacts have
been reached. Once developed, your evaluation report should be submitted to the
management team for review and further decision making.

Categories: PM Tips & Ideas

Tags: evaluation, how-to

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