Developmental Evaluation Pilot - Digital Strategy

"USAID's Developmental Evaluation Pilot Activity (DEPA-MERL) project was one of the first attempts to introduce Developmental Evaluation (DE) to USAID. The DEPA-MERL project provided high quality DEs to interested Operating Units while also rigorously collecting and widely disseminating learning about how to conduct DEs in the Agency’s unique context.

In early 2020, USAID launched its first-ever Digital Strategy in order to align the Agency’s vision for development assistance with the world’s evolving digital landscape. The Technology Division within USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation is responsible for leading the strategy implementation across the Agency. DEPA-MERL launched a DE in mid-2020 to support four of the Strategy’s 17 implementation initiatives to learn and collaborate better within and across teams. For the first time at USAID, the Developmental Evaluator was embedded remotely into the initiatives due to the covid-19 pandemic. The DE was extended twice, lasting for two years. These resources are intended for those interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of what a DE looks like in USAID, and associated learnings from implementing the DE. "