Planning of monitoring and evaluation

Evaluation of research has a long history but is a continuously evolving practice. There are numerous methods and methodologies that have been devised over the years serving specific purposes and contexts. The R&I Partnership Evaluation (RIPE) Toolkit is not trying to cover all of those in a generic approach, but presents certain methodologies that have been tested on existing partnerships throughout the course of ERA-LEARN.

Before doing an evaluation it is important to plan and set up a monitoring and evaluation system that can serve the needs of evaluation at the right time with the right information. In addition, a number of things should be decided such as the timing and type of evaluation to be conducted and the key evaluation questions to answer. At the same time, evaluations are not done in isolation from those involved, interested and potentially affected by their results. Thus, selecting the 'right' evaluator and engaging with stakeholders while safeguarding independence and objectivity are key.

The RIPE Toolkit will be gradually enriched and updated with more material i.e. videos, presentations, new tested tools and methods and practical exercises, as these become available through the evaluation activities of ERA-LEARN.