Evaluation plan example: how to turn a programme brief into a defensible plan
Oct 12 2026 · Templates
A worked evaluation plan example: questions, design, sampling, data collection, analysis and use — plus a checklist you can copy.
An evaluation plan has six parts: the evaluation questions, tied to the OECD-DAC criteria; the design, whether experimental, quasi-experimental or theory-based; the sampling, covering how many and who; the data collection, listing instruments and a schedule; the analysis, showing how each question gets answered; and the use, naming who acts on the findings. Start from the programme brief and its theory of change, write questions that are answerable and consequential, then match the design to what each question can support. A defensible plan names its limitations honestly — small samples, missing baselines, self-reported data. That honesty is what separates a plan from a wish.
What are the six parts of an evaluation plan?
Every defensible plan covers the same six areas. If one is missing, the plan will stall at review or collapse when findings are challenged.
- Evaluation questions — answerable, bounded and consequential.
- Design — matched to what each question can support.
- Sampling — how many, who, and how they are selected.
- Data collection — instruments, responsibilities and calendar.
- Analysis — how each question gets answered, and by whom.
- Use — who acts on the findings, and when.
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Written for M&E professionals. Not a guarantee of accuracy — always verify every claim against its source, and let a named human sign off. Get the free handbook.