Evaluating Humanitarian Assistance Programmes in Complex Emergencies

Evaluation is a key tool in efforts to improve accountability and performance in the operation of the international humanitarian aid system. However, humanitarian aid has been subjected to less rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures than those applied to development aid. As the share of overseas development assistance allocated to humanitarian aid has risen, and awareness of the complexity of humanitarian assistance has increased, so the need to develop appropriate methodologies for the evaluation of relief aid has become more apparent.

This Good Practice Review is the written output of an OECD/DAC project initiated to identify and disseminate best practice in the evaluation of humanitarian assistance programmes. The study seeks to improve the consistency and quality of evaluation methodologies, and enhance the accountability function of evaluation, contribute to institutionalising the lessons learned, and identify better methods for monitoring performance of humanitarian aid operations.