Evaluations of past and future initiatives are among the most powerful instruments available to policy makers. Therefore, responsible evaluation requires solid methodological knowledge, rigour, creativity and a good dose of political and management skills. The ECORYS Evaluation Training Course is designed as a versatile multi-layered set of modules, which can be easily adapted to various contexts and audiences

ECORYS' expertise
Almost half of ECORYS’s turnover comes from monitoring and evaluation assignments in all of its thematic fields of expertise. Our experience in the field is therefore varied and solid. Practice is reinforced by good theoretical grounding and (academic) research, as illustrated by the recent report on bridging the gap between evaluation theory and practice. ECORYS has a long standing reputation of sound methodological innovation, and the field of M&E is no exception. Our experts are often asked to give lectures on a host of related subjects, such as a recent exposé on the trends and specificities of Evaluation in the Netherlands at a conference of the International Evaluation Research Group.

1. Current trends in evaluation: Designed as an introductory lecture to be dispensed by top-level academics or professional evaluators, this module aims to familiarize students with the latest trends in evaluation. What sort of evaluations do clients require? What is the overall level of knowledge of the larger policy making community in the field? What sort of expectations do clients have from evaluation consultants?
   
   
2.  Key concepts and evaluation methods: This highly interactive module is designed to provide students with the basic tools of evaluation. The most common evaluation criteria are explained, as are various data collection and analysis methods.  Students are guided step by step through the various phases of designing an evaluation from developing indicators to presenting conclusions and recommendations.
   
   
3.  Managing an evaluation: This module is aimed at raising the awareness of students about the very important management and political aspects of the evaluation process. It highlights the most common risks of conducting an evaluation and draws on the student experience to put forward possible solutions to evaluators’ dilemmas.
   This course focuses on and uses examples linked to ex-post evaluation