Checklists There are gaps in the evidence about what works to prevent violence and we should be committed to contributing to address these gaps. This means maximizing opportunities to generate evidence about the effectiveness of our VAW programming.
- The established ‘gold standard’ approach to generating such evidence is through the use of Randomized Control Trials (RCTs). However, RCTs are time and resource intensive and are only appropriate for programs which already have some promising evaluation results. There are several alternative approaches which can generate important evidence and learning, including of prevalence.
- You need to identify an evaluation approach early in the design phase of your program – so you can secure sufficient budget in your negotiations with funders, form the right partnerships and factor in realistic timeframes. Delaying M&E planning will reduce your options and is likely to limit your ability to demonstrate the value of your program.
- In a VAW Prevention Programme, you can play the following roles in program evaluation:
- Conducting a simple program evaluation yourselves
- Commissioning an independent program evaluation
- Collaborating with academic teams to conduct a research-based impact evaluation. For more on this see exploring academic collaboration.
