How Do We Evaluate in Europe? Highlights From the European Commission’s New Evaluation Handbook by Diana Kun

Date: Friday, September 12, 2025

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Hello everyone, I’m Diana Kun from Budapest, Hungary. I evaluate European Union (EU)-funded programmes, in the fields of education and equal opportunities at the Hungarian Ministry of Regional Development. Today, I’d like to share some insights into the European Commission’s new Evaluation Handbook, highlighting its key features, strengths, areas for improvement, as well as practical usefulness for evaluators worldwide.

Rad Resource

In July 2024, the European Commission published an updated version of the Handbook, reflecting significant advances in evaluation practice over the last two decades.  The new Handbook incorporates contemporary evaluation literature, international best practice, and lessons from staff consultations. It is intended for Commission staff, external evaluation experts and contractors, inviting a broader audience to engage in methodological discussions.

Strengths

Thanks to the following, the new Evaluation Handbook is a valuable resource for evaluators:

• Clarity and structure: The Handbook is clear, well organised and user-friendly. Step-by-step instructions, practical templates and checklists make it easy for both emerging and experienced evaluators to navigate.
• Technological innovations: This edition integrates modern data collection and analysis tools. Including big data, geospatial tools and participatory video reflects evolving practices and helps to make evaluations more insightful and evidence-based.
• Ethical considerations: There is a strong focus on ethics throughout the Handbook. The guidance on gender equality, human rights and data protection is particularly commendable. In an era of digital data collection, the emphasis on protecting privacy and conducting evaluations responsibly is especially important.
• Useful guidance for practitioners: Overall, evaluators will find the Handbook’s structured approach and practical tools very useful. The detailed guidelines and checklists help to streamline evaluation processes and ensure consistency. The combination of technological and ethical guidance enables more accurate and inclusive evaluations to be conducted. While the Handbook provides a solid foundation, it also encourages users to remain flexible and adapt recommendations to their specific context and resources.

Opportunities for Improvement

Despite its strengths, there are some areas in which the Handbook could be improved to maximise its effectiveness:

• Include more case studies: Adding more real-world examples would make the Handbook more applicable. Concrete case studies demonstrating how various methodologies are applied in different global contexts would offer valuable insights for practitioners.
• Emphasise local adaptation: Given the diverse environments in which evaluations occur, additional guidance on adapting evaluation frameworks to local contexts would be beneficial. Providing more advice on conducting evaluations amid specific social, economic or political challenges would increase the Handbook’s utility worldwide.
• Alternative data collection methods: While the handbook promotes digital tools, not all regions have equal access to technology and infrastructure. Suggesting low-tech or alternative data collection methods for settings with limited resources would make the guidance more inclusive and practical.

Final Thought

The updated Evaluation Handbook is an invaluable and practical resource, particularly for those involved in EU-funded international projects. It provides clear guidance, integrates modern technology and prioritises ethical evaluation practices. While there is scope for improvement, the Handbook undoubtedly represents a significant step forward for the evaluation community.

This handbook is a commendable effort to improve evaluation practice. It strikes a good balance between clarity, innovative approaches and ethical considerations, making it a useful tool for evaluators in various contexts. By applying its guidance and tailoring its recommendations to specific challenges, evaluators can conduct more effective and responsible evaluations. With continued refinement and greater adaptability, the Evaluation Handbook could become an invaluable global resource, inspiring the cross-pollination of best practice between Europe, the US and beyond.

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