A comprehensive guide to conducting impact evaluations in humanitarian settings. This publication covers various evaluation methodologies, data collection techniques, and ethical considerations specific to emergency and crisis contexts.
This technical guide provides humanitarian practitioners with practical methodologies for conducting rigorous impact evaluations in complex emergency settings. Drawing from FIFE's extensive experience evaluating humanitarian programs across multiple contexts, we present frameworks that balance scientific rigor with the realities of crisis response.
Impact evaluation in humanitarian settings presents unique challenges:
We discuss several quasi-experimental approaches suitable for humanitarian contexts, including difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching. Each method is illustrated with case studies from actual humanitarian evaluations.
Combining quantitative impact measurement with qualitative understanding is essential in humanitarian evaluation. This chapter provides frameworks for integrating different data sources and methods.
Practical guidance on:
Humanitarian evaluation must navigate complex ethical terrain:
This chapter covers:
We present detailed case studies of impact evaluations from:
The guide concludes with a comprehensive resource section including evaluation tools, templates, and recommended reading. We emphasize that while methodological rigor is important, evaluation must ultimately serve humanitarian principles and contribute to better programming for affected populations.