A Systematic Review of Meta-Evaluations

Lessons for Evaluation and Impact Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID15033368
AuthorsJoanne Xiaolei Qian (0000-0002-7205-947X, Swinburne University of Technology), Kiros Hiruy (0000-0002-7183-7372, Swinburne University of Technology), Rebecca Hutton (0000-0002-7286-0320, Swinburne University of Technology), Rebecca Willow-Anne Hutton, Jo Barraket (0000-0001-7416-6458, Swinburne University of Technology)
Year2022
Volume43
Issue3
Pages394-411
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Evaluation (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1098-2140 • E-ISSN: 1557-0878
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/10982140211018276
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited22

Impact evaluation and measurement are highly complex and can pose challenges for both social impact providers and funders. Measuring the impact of social interventions requires the continuous exploration and improvement of evaluation approaches and tools. This article explores the available evidence on meta-evaluation—the “evaluation of evaluations”—as an analytical tool for improving impact evaluation and analysis in practice. It presents a systematic review of 15 meta-evaluations with an impact evaluation/analysis component. These studies, taken from both the scholarly and gray literature, were analyzed thematically, yielding insights about the potential contribution of meta-evaluation in improving the methodological rigor of impact evaluation and organizational learning among practitioners. To conclude, we suggest that meta-evaluation is a viable way of examining impact evaluations used in the broader social sector, particularly market-based social interventions

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