What are evaluation questions primarily designed to do in an evaluation study?

Evaluation questions are primarily designed to guide the focus and scope of the evaluation. These questions help clarify what the evaluation aims to assess and explore, allowing evaluators to concentrate their efforts on specific areas of interest or concern within the program or intervention being evaluated. By establishing clear evaluation questions, the evaluator can identify key aspects of the program that require in-depth investigation, ensuring that the evaluation remains focused and relevant to stakeholders' needs.

The development of evaluation questions is critical because it shapes the evaluation design, influencing the choice of methods, data collection techniques, and analysis strategies. Well-formulated evaluation questions lead to more meaningful findings and insights that can inform decisions, improvements, and accountability in the program being evaluated. In essence, these questions are foundational to the entire evaluation process, serving as a roadmap that delineates what will be studied and how.

While aspects like budget development, evaluator qualifications, and project duration are important considerations in the evaluation process, they are not the primary purpose of evaluation questions. Instead, they are ancillary elements that support the evaluation but do not define its core objectives. Therefore, the focus on evaluation questions is crucial for a successful and impactful evaluation study.