IA Project Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (adapted from a presentation by Savedoff, 2006) says that in Implementation M&E, we study the resource requirements of a project, the processes followed to utilize those resources for generating certain outputs, and the outputs themselves, whereas in Impact Evaluation, we go beyond what the project has produced in physical terms and study the changes that it has brought about in the project environment.
Source: Impact Evaluation, Methodological and Operational Issues, ADB
Need for Impact Evaluation
Gradually, a string of impact evaluations conducted across time and spaces can serve to build the knowledge base of what works in development sector. Apart from providing a clear evidence of the success or failure of a program, the impact evaluation helps the program managers make the following decisions:
- Whether the program has achieved its intended goal as defined by the program document/ log frame
- Whether to continue with/ expand/ modify/ eliminate a program
- Whether it is fair to attribute a particular change/ improvement to the program (or they could be the result of other factors occurring simultaneously)
- Whether the program impacts vary across different groups of intended beneficiaries (males, females, indigenous people), regions, and over time
- Whether there are any unintended effects of the program, either positive or negative
- What changes to introduce in the design or format of the program in order to improve its performance
- Whether certain components of the program have performed especially well/ lagged behind others
- How effective the program is vis-à-vis other similar interventions tried elsewhere (especially if the baseline evidence is common for both) or in the same region before
- Whether the impact achieved by the program justifies its costs
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