In 1996, ECHO produced its first evaluation manual to provide the methodological basis for its own evaluation practice. The manual was widely distributed in the humanitarian world, including the Member States of the European Union and ECHO’s partners. It gave rise to debate and exchanges of information and ideas. In 1999, ECHO presented a new version of its evaluation manual. It reflected the knowledge and experience the Office had acquired since 1996 and took account of the ideas that had been developed both in the field of humanitarian aid and of its evaluation. Now, in 2002, ECHO publishes a second revision. While maintaining all that is still valid, it takes account of a number of important recent developments and decisions that touch upon ECHO’s work. To mark the distinction between this booklet and the detailed instruction books abounding in the humanitarian field, it is no longer presented as a manual. As its predecessors, this booklet is meant to provide a succinct overview of the working practices of the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission, and particularly of its evaluation practice. Rather than trying to provide the answer to all the questions that might arise during an evaluation, it sketches the role of evaluation in the current legal and institutional context. Evaluators and humanitarian organisations that took part in ECHO’s evaluations have greatly benefited from the insights they gained from the previous editions of this booklet. Besides, several organisations found inspiration in this overview to redefine their own evaluation practices. ECHO hopes that this revised and updated edition will continue to play this clarifying and inspirational role.