WRITING TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN EVALUATION: A HOW-TO GUIDE

Independent Evaluation Group, World Bank 2011. Available as pdf.

“The terms of reference (ToR) document defines all aspects of how a consultant or a team will conduct an evaluation. It defines the objectives and the scope of the evaluation, outlines the responsibilities of the consultant or team, and provides a clear description of the resources available to conduct the study. Developing an accurate and wellspecified ToR is a critical step in managing a high-quality evaluation. The evaluation ToR document serves as the basis for a contractual arrangement with one or more evaluators and sets the parameters against which the success of the assignment can be measured.

The specific content and format for a ToR will vary to some degree based on organizational requirements, local practices, and the type of
assignment. However, a few basic principles and guidelines inform the development of any evaluation ToR. This publication provides userfriendly guidance for writing ToRs by covering the following areas:

1. Definition and function. What is a ToR? When is one needed? What are its objectives? This section also highlights how an evaluation ToR is different from other ToRs.
2. Content. What should be included in a ToR? What role(s) will each of the sections of the document serve in supporting and facilitating the completion of a high-quality evaluation?
3. Preparation. What needs to be in place for a practitioner or team to develop the ToR for an evaluation or review?
4. Process. What steps should be taken to develop an effective ToR? Who should be involved for each of these steps?

A quality checklist and some Internet resources are included in this publication to foster good practice in writing ToRs for evaluations and reviews of projects and programs. The publication also provides references and resources for further information.”

[RD Comment: See also: Guidance on Terms of Reference for an Evaluation: A List, listing ToRs guidance documents produced by 9 different organisations]

Guidance on Terms of Reference for an Evaluation: A List

This is the beginning of a new page that will list various sources of guidance on the development of Terms of Reference for an evaluation.

If you have suggestions for any additions (or edits) to this list please use the Comment function below.

Please also see the hundreds of examples of actual ToRs (and related docs) in the MandE NEWS Jobs Forum

PS: Jim Rugh has advised me (5 June 2010) that “two colleagues at the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University are undertaking an extensive review of RFPs / ToRs they’ve seen posted on various listservs; they intend to publish a synthesis, critique and recommendations for criteria to make them more realistic and appropriate.

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