Evaluation is an examination of the value of a project. It serves to ensure the quality of its
implementation and results. It can support project management and decision making. Often,
evaluation is carried out only at the end of the project and focuses on assessing whether its
objectives and results have been achieved. This article shows that thanks to evaluation it is possible
not only to summarize the achievements of the project, but also to better plan and, consequently, to
implement the project. Initial evaluation, also known as ex-ante evaluation, serves this purpose. It
can be done – and is worth doing so – when the planned project is still in the idea stage and the
concept of its implementation is only emerging, or when it is in the early stage of implementation,
when practically no project activities have been undertaken yet.
We invite you to read expert study in Polish written by Beata Ciężka, one of the founders of the
Polish Evaluation Society, an expierienced evaluator and trainer.
