The evaluation practices of US international NGOs

Overview

Despite the growing interest in performance measurement and evaluation of international NGOs (INGOs), little is known about actual INGO evaluation practices. The present article, based on a survey of 38 US INGOs, examines the process of evaluation practice, as well as the purposes and dissemination of the results. The findings on evaluation purpose, dissemination of results, and formal feedback mechanisms suggest that INGOs typically develop stronger formal accountability measures for donors and staff-members than for beneficiaries. The findings also indicate that many INGOs consider evaluation as an opportunity for organisational learning and for improving their performance. Many of the difficulties identified by respondents in conducting evaluations are consistent with previous literature.