Evaluating Projects During COVID-19: Guidance On Timing, Methods, And Tools.pdf

Key principles include:

- Do No Harm: Prioritize health and safety, adhering to government regulations on physical distancing.
- Critical Needs: Determine essential data requirements versus nice-to-know information. Pause non-essential activities.
- Agility: Adapt plans due to the evolving situation, including delayed evaluations, revised deliverables, and remote methodologies.
- Communication: Maintain transparent communication with stakeholders using accessible tools like SMS, WhatsApp, or Skype.

Decision Tree for Evaluations in COVID-19:

- Assess project context and urgency.
- Consider delaying non-COVID-19 projects until site visits are safe.
- For COVID-19 responses, remote evaluations may be necessary to learn, adapt, or meet donor requirements.

Tearfund Evaluation Guidelines:

Table 1 summarizes evaluation formats and recommendations based on project funding size. Remote learning reviews or real-time reviews are suggested for projects over £100k during COVID-19.

Planning a Remote Evaluation:

Table 2 outlines key steps and considerations:

- Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and communicate with relevant stakeholders using digital platforms, considering changed roles and capacities.
- Revised Terms of Reference (ToR): Adapt ToR to reflect remote methodologies, revised questions, deliverables, and timelines. Keep it simple and feasible.
- Evaluation Lead: Choose a leader familiar with the context, in the same time zone, and able to speak the local language. Consider joint teams or locally based consultants for data collection.
- Budgeting: Account for reduced travel costs but potential new expenses for remote technologies. Ensure flexibility and clear decision-making processes.
- Ethical Standards: Adhere to international ethical standards, especially regarding data compensation and privacy in a remote setting.