Two approaches to evaluating the outcomes of development projects

A review is presented of the different principles and characteristics embodied in the two development philosophies (as briefly differentiated in the phrases 'top-down approach', and the 'bottom-up', or people-centered approach). Evaluation is discussed in terms of the two approaches: the subjective and the objective. Each one is examined, and whether they are mutually exclusive or compatible is discussed, and indeed whether evaluating project outcomes is worthwhile. It is concluded that the evaluation of each type f project can learn from each other, and that an amalgamation of objective and subjective approaches can lead to a more informed evaluation outcome, and an enhanced development project or process. Abstract supplied by kind permission of CABI. This article is freely available as a chapter in Development Methods and Approaches: Critical Reflections