Key Actions by:

Standard 18: Learning from and leveraging results during close-out.

Engage participants, partners, donors, host or local governments and other stakeholders in project close-out evaluation and reflection activities with the intent of learning from and leveraging the project.

Key Action 1 Design a project final evaluation or after‑action review appropriate to project scope and stakeholder information needs.
Who

Project manager or chief of party with MEAL lead or individual designated as the "evaluation manager"; CRS and partner project MEAL staff, including any sector leads; head of programming, country representative (as applicable); regional MEAL advisor

When
  • Initiate planning of the final evaluation or after-action review so that it can be conducted in the last six months of the project or per donor requirements.
Key Action 2 Conduct a final evaluation or after-action review which engages stakeholders in interpreting results and generating learning.
Who

Project manager or chief of party and the MEAL lead for the evaluation (with external evaluator if applicable); CRS and partner project team members (including sector specialists, MEAL staff, and operations staff); country program senior management team; regional technical advisors; country program and/or regional business development staff; members of the project governance structure; IDEA staff as applicable

When
  • In the final 6 months of the project, unless otherwise required
Key Action 3 Share project learning with stakeholders for influence, sustainability, and scale-up of successful project approaches.
Who

Project manager or chief of party; project team members; country program MEAL staff; country representative and senior management team; sectoral technical advisors; country program and regional business development staff; IDEA staff if applicable.

When
  • Finalize a plan for sharing final project learning as part of overall close-out planning, building on final evaluation or after-action review planning.
  • Refine and implement the plan throughout the close-out period.