Central to building consensus on ways in which to improve learning and accountability is the effective management of UNHCR’s evaluation function. As a platform for sharing lessons, learning from persons of concern, identifying common approaches, and addressing good and poor practices, evaluation is the barometer for the health of an organization. UNHCR is committed to ensuring that it develops and implements effective evaluation management policies and practice. This handbook aims to advance understanding and practice in the management of evaluations of UNHCR operations, programmes, themes, and policies. The handbook contains a set of guidelines intended to help UNHCR staff design and implement evaluations, with some handy checklists included. Both new and advanced evaluation specialists should find it useful. Users of this guide are encouraged to submit comments on its usefulness or suggest improvements to the Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) at hqep00@unhcr.orgAn organization that can learn and change on the basis of systematic examination and in conjunction with its stakeholders is likely to be a healthy and effective one. As such, UNHCR is committed to developing an effective evaluation function, and to consulting refugees on decisions that affect their lives. The participatory selfevaluation (PSE) technique is one means of combining these objectives. This handbook contains a set of draft guidelines intended to help UNHCR staff design and implement PSEs. PSEs can take many different forms; as such, the contents of this publication raise issues and present options, but are not intended to serve as a blueprint for all PSE exercises. This handbook is in draft format, and is undergoing field-testing before finalization. Users of this guide are encouraged to submit comments to the Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) at hqep00@unhcr.org This handbook is based on UNHCR planning documents, EPAU’s experiences with self-evaluation, inputs from EPAU staff, and the work of consultants. It has been recently revised and reviewed.
