Key points
High-quality evaluations will use these standards1 to guide decisions at each step. The standards are intentionally broad to ensure flexibility. They are not rules, but practices that make evaluations credible. Each evaluation should balance these standards, along with other factors, according to the needs of the situation.
Overview
Relevance and Utility
Evaluations should focus on useful information that is important to the interest holders. Their findings should be actionable and available in time for use. They should be presented in a way that is understandable, culturally responsive, and informative.
Rigor
Evaluations should produce findings that interest holders can confidently rely upon while also providing clear explanations of limitations. The rigor of an evaluation is highly dependent on thoughtful planning and implementation of the underlying design and methods, as well as how findings are interpreted and reported.
Independence and Objectivity
Evaluations should strive to be as independent and objective as possible so that interest holders, experts, and the public will accept their findings. Evaluation activities should be appropriately insulated from political and other undue influences that may affect their objectivity, impartiality, and professional judgement.
Transparency
Evaluations must be transparent throughout the planning, implementation, and reporting phases. This enables accountability and helps ensure that aspects of an evaluation are not tailored to generate specific findings. Decisions regarding the evaluation's purpose and objectives, the range of interest holders who will have access to findings, the design and methods, and the timeline and strategy for releasing findings should be clearly documented before conducting the evaluation.
Ethics
Evaluations should be conducted to the highest ethical standards to maintain trust in the process and products. Evaluations should be equitable, fair, and just, and should consider cultural and contextual factors that could influence the findings or their use.
The Program Evaluation Framework provides you with more information on how to integrate these standards into your program evaluation approaches.
- Office of Management and Budget. M-20–12. Memorandum on phase 4 implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: program evaluation standards and practice. Washington, DC: Office of Management and Budget; 2020. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/M-20-12.pdf