KEA Guidelines on Writing Concept Note for Evaluations.pdf

<strong>KEA</strong> <strong>Guidelines</strong> on Writing Concept Note for EvaluationsA ‘concept note’ or an ‘an evaluation proposal’ is a good first step forlaunching an evaluation study. It is necessary if the evaluation study is beingentrusted to Karnataka Evaluation Authority (<strong>KEA</strong>) by a line department oragency. <strong>KEA</strong> and the independent external evaluator may not understand andappreciate the need for the study like the implementing agency or department does.Each one of these troika can have widely varying expectations about the proposedevaluation and what it is expected to produce. Concept note is a brief proposalcontaining the rationale for taking up the evaluation study at this point of time; listskey issues to be investigated, indicates what the department is looking for in thestudy report and how the findings and recommendations will be utilized. It shouldhelp in locating the bottom line for the study, given the real world constraints ofdata, time, money and political import. It is a short scoping note of 2-3 pages only.There is no need for literature review, citations, data etc. It needs to contain only 3-4 paragraphs on the following items:1. Background: This section includes a brief background of the implementingdepartment/agency, outline of the program/scheme, its role and importance, howlong it is under implementation, expenditure incurred in the last 3-5 years,human resourced deployed by the department/agency, program/schemeachievements, number of citizens benefitted, intended future coverage, etc.2. Scope of the study: This section states the major challenges in implementing theprogram/scheme, efforts made by the department/agency to overcome theminternally and the progress made so far, unresolved core/real life issues (a onesentence statement of the research/evaluation questions that the study shouldaddress), the need and urgency for taking up an evaluation study now, data/information and budget available for the study, time line within which the studyshould be completed, how the findings will be utilized etc.3. Title: Title of the study needs to be catchy, informative and distinctive. Two-parttitle is ideal. The first part should be short and catchy. The second part can be

more descriptive / informative. Length of the title should not ordinarily exceedabout 20 words. It should reflect the essence of proposed study.4. Supplementary information: Here the department/agency my list the potentialevaluators if they have a ready list. Else they may suggest as to what kind ofevaluation agency they are looking for (they can name some agencies also).They may also suggest what methodologies they have in mind, what additionalevidence is to be gathered, contact information for getting additional details etc.The aim of a concept paper is to provide a clear summary of the evaluationstudy. It should enable a casual reader to understand what the client wants toinvestigate for meeting the development objectives of his/her organization.Following the receipt of the concept note, <strong>KEA</strong> will hold discussions with thekey officers of the department/agency to understand their needs better. It willlead to a better understanding between the department/agency and the <strong>KEA</strong> onthe evaluation design that best responds to the purpose, tentative costs, potentialagencies, method of choosing the evaluator, monitoring arrangements, utilizationof the findings, political and organizational implications etc. Inception report isnot necessary for internal evaluations. Instead, departments/agencies shouldconsult the <strong>KEA</strong> and straight away submit a ToR and seek its approval.*******