Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Honors Thesis (Open Access)
Department
Colby College. Global Studies Program
Advisor(s)
Patrice M. Franko
Second Advisor
Ariel Armony
Third Advisor
Jennifer Yoder
Abstract
This study attempts to answer the question, do formalized evaluation procedures contribute to increased project effectiveness? Project effectiveness is defined as the successful attainment of project goals and objectives. According to the literature, evaluations have the potential to improve a project's success by raising awareness of problem areas and offering ways suggestions for improvement. To test this theory, the evaluation systems of seven international development organizations that are currently implementing projects in Bolivia are examined: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), Peace Corps, Project Concern International (pCI), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Sates Agency for International Development (USAlD), Water for People, and World Vision. The evaluation systems of each organization are analyzed within the context of four important components that should ideally characterize all development projects: effective information management, participant incorporation into the evaluation process, flexibility, and coordination between various actors. While some organizations show near textbook perfonnance on carrying out parts of these components, on other factors, especially participant involvement, some organizations seem to struggle. In none ofthe organizations are evaluations found to be a detriment to project success, but rather, the effect that the monitoring and evaluation procedures have on the current implementation and future design of the projects appears to be minimal. The limited impact of evaluations on project effectiveness is due to the evaluation methods of the organizations, the characteristics of the project itself, as well as external factors, including the societal conditions in which the project takes place.
Keywords
Economic development projects, Bolivia, Evaluation
Recommended Citation
Saucier, Kristin, "Evaluations and Project Effectiveness : an Investigation into the Evaluation Processes of Development Projects in Bolivia" (2004). Honors Theses. Paper 232.https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/232
Copyright
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