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5 Principles for good evaluation – Self-assessment

Publication date: 13/02/2025 (Updated 18/03/2026)

ESS resource: ESS Evaluation Methods and Tools

Resource theme: Core Evaluation Support

Principles for good evaluation: About what matters, Communicated well, Fits the way you do your work, Involves the people you support, Used by you

We believe that there is no absolute standard for self-evaluation. What is good enough depends on what you need evaluation for, your context, the needs of your service users, and practical considerations like time and resources. Use our 5 principles, which are the distillation of our many years of experience, to judge if you are happy with your evaluation.

Find the editable self-assessment template below.

+ Find out more about our 5 principles for good evaluation here.

Our Tailored Support is fully flexible and offers dedicated time to help you meet your specific evaluation needs. Whether you’re just getting started or facing a complex challenge, we’ll work with you to strengthen your evaluation approach in a way that makes sense for your organisation. See if tailored support is right for you. 🎯

We also run various workshops throughout the year which are designed to help third sector organisations demonstrate the difference they make. Learn more about our workshops.✏️