ENG - 4 - Why to assess and measure ?

Why to assess and measure ?

To assess is to question oneself about one's internal operating modes but it is also to measure and analyze the effects of an action based on the objectives that one has set, and to measure the results using suitable tools. So first and foremost, it is a question of 'what do I want to know and why?'

The approach, posture and tools vary depending on whether one seeks to assess the progress of the project, the impact on target audiences, the impact on the project team or meet the expectations of the project to a funder or authorities (who may also ask to measure the social impact but who may have different expectations).

It is not a question here of assessing only to meet the expectations (often quantitative) of the funders but of really thinking of the assessment as a stage of the project, to better respond to the challenges of the problem we are addressing.

We must therefore see this step as a means to the service of the project and not as an administrative constraint. The assessment work must be meaningful and fit into the philosophy of the project. Doing this work can also serve to justify the legitimacy of its action with funders and institutions, but this is only one effect among many and by no means an end in itself.

What can we measure through an evaluation ?