What is Developmental Evaluation?

Developmental evaluation (DE) is an approach that supports continuous adaptation in complex environments, and differs from typical evaluations in a few ways: (1) DEs have a Developmental Evaluator embedded alongside the implementation team; (2) DEs emphasize iterative, real-time data collection and regular reflection to support adaptation; (3) DEs are methodologically agnostic and adjust analytical techniques and evaluation questions as the project changes. For more information on DEs, consider reading Developmental Evaluation from Better Evaluation.

Family Care First in Cambodia (FCF) is a network of organizations working together to help children live in safe, nurturing, family-based care. Since 2015, FCF has been working in Cambodia to advance transformational solutions to prevent family separation and strengthen the social service workforce. FCF is guided by the Collective Impact approach (Figure 1) to support multiple layers of stakeholders across different sectors.

Why DE?

FCF is a highly complex project, with numerous stakeholders and many unknowns regarding the Collective Impact model and the project’s ultimate theory of change. The DE was intended to support improved coordination among all FCF partners. FCF selected DE because the evaluation approach could adapt to shifting circumstances, relationships, and implementation strategies tomeet FCF’s changing needs over time.