For organizations committed to improving how they learn, adapt, and demonstrate results, evaluation capacity development resources are essential. These are tools, guides, and frameworks that help individuals and teams strengthen their understanding of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), improve practice, and embed evaluation into everyday work.
- M&E Toolkits and Guides
- There are M&E toolkits and guides available from a range of global hubs that provide practical steps and templates for evaluation design, data collection, and reporting. These toolkits help organisations select appropriate methods, create logic models, and build indicators that track meaningful change. Such resources often include checklists and quality-assurance frameworks to make evaluation work more systematic and effective.
- Evaluation Manuals for NGOs
- Evaluation manuals for NGOs offer structured learning materials tailored to nonprofit settings. These manuals explain foundational concepts and walk teams through common evaluation tasks, from planning a survey to interpreting results, so that staff can confidently lead evaluation activities without external support.
- Open-Source Resources for Evaluation
- Numerous open-source resources for evaluation exist online, including global repositories of M&E frameworks, method libraries, and training materials. These free tools make it easier for organisations of all sizes to access high-quality content without cost barriers.
- Global Frameworks for Capacity Building
- Global frameworks for capacity building, such as those maintained by international evaluation networks and partnerships, help standardise competencies and best practices. They support not only technical skills but also organisational and cultural change needed for effective evaluation.
- Learning Materials for M&E Professionals
- To strengthen skills, organisations can tap into a range of learning materials for M&E professionals, from self-guided mini-courses to detailed training modules. These cover topics such as data analysis, indicator development, and evaluation design, building practical expertise among staff.
- Evaluation Best Practice Resources
- Finally, evaluation best practice resources, including online libraries, case studies, and community-led guides, share tested approaches and lessons learned from real-world evaluation work. These help organisations avoid common pitfalls and adopt methods that produce credible, actionable evidence.
Together, these evaluation capacity development resources empower organisations to build stronger internal M&E systems and make more informed, evidence-based decisions.
List of recommended resources #
For a broad overview #
Framework and Toolkit to Strengthen Evaluation Capacity
This toolkit prepared by Stephanie Watson-Grant and Lauren Hart in collaboration with USAID and MEASURE Evaluation gives a broad understanding of evaluation capacity assessment framework and provides an evaluation capacity strengthening toolkit consisting a facilitation guide, discussion guide, and an assessment matrix to help evaluators engage in collaborative implementation.
Monitoring and Evaluating Capacity Building: Is it really that difficult?
This paper by Nigel Simister with Rachel Smith discusses the key concepts of capacity building as well as monitoring and evaluation of capacity building. It also discusses some current practices in the field, along with some assessment tools that can be used for M&E of capacity building.
For in-depth understanding #
This MEASURE Evaluation Manual by Anne LaFond and Lisanne Brown provides an in-depth understanding of capacity-building monitoring and evaluation, as well as certain interventions that can help in monitoring and evaluation capacity building.
Capacity Assessment Methodology: User’s Guide
This user’s guide by UNDP provides an in-depth understanding of capacity development> The guide explains how to assess capacity assets and needs, formulate a capacity development response, along with operational guidelines and tools to support evaluation.
Case study #
Building Capacity to Evaluate Value Chain Development for Job Creation: A Case Study from Tunisia
This study by Michael Weber and Jade Salhab explores Value Chain Development (VCD) approaches and their role in evaluation capacity development as key strategies for supporting World Bank client countries. It highlights how strengthening country capacity through VCD can help unlock private sector potential and address barriers to job creation, with particular attention to opportunities for youth, women, and other vulnerable groups. The study draws on insights from the World Bank’s VCD Training program conducted in Tunis between April 5 and November 14, 2016.
These selected proceedings from the seminar and workshop on “Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Development for Africa”, compiled by the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the African Development Bank and the World Bank addresses monitoring and evaluation and the challenge of development in Africa through selected topics.
