Re-framing utilization focused evaluation: lessons for the Australian Aid programme?

This paper examines Patton’s (2008) model of Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE) in international development, and considers its efficacy in the evaluation of Australia’s Australian Aid programme. A growth in fiscal constraint within governments of many Western countries has placed greater emphasis on accountability and policy results (Rossi et al 2004, p. 8). This has been especially so for foreign aid agencies, with governments facing pressure to enhance the scrutiny of their programmes (Commonwealth of Australia 2011; Syal & Jones 2015). This trend is evident in the recently restructured Australian Aid programme (Bruere & Hill 2016), which incorporates a shift in focus to the Asia-Pacific region. The utility of programme evaluation has thus assumed heightened significance for policy makers, implementing agencies, aid beneficiaries, taxpayers and evaluation practitioners. This paper reviews barriers to implementing the UFE model within Australian Aid and other aid agencies, for example costs and taxpayer accountability, and proposes an adapted UFE model for ‘foreign aid’ programme evaluation (FAUFE). By incorporating elements of cost-benefit analyses and performance measures, our FAUFE model reconciles many of the obstacles to effective evaluation by creating an environment conducive to policy and organizational learning, while allowing for the practical and fiscal requirements of aid agencies.