Evaluating our evaluability: Lessons from Ngala, Western Australia

Abstract

Evaluability assessment focuses on the readiness of organisations to carry out evaluations. Scholars argue that evaluability assessment needs to focus on internal evaluation systems and tools and their capability to measure programmes and services reliably and credibly. Even so, literature on best practice guidelines on evaluability assessment within the context of the not-for-profit sector appears to be rare. We seek to begin to fill this gap by presenting lessons learned from Ngala, Western Australia, when we reviewed the organisation’s evaluation practice and culture in 2018/2019. The Service Model and Outcomes Measurement Audit project assessed the extent to which service models within Ngala aligned with the organisation’s standardised service model and individual service contracts, as well as consistency of outcomes, data collection and reporting practices. Insights obtained from the project and their implications for evaluability assessment practice are discussed.