Meta-evaluation and synthesis review 2016

In 2016 we conducted a review of 26 evaluation reports, covering our work in specific countries and individual programmes.

Key findings about volunteering

• VSO interventions made people's lives better by improving the quality of and access to services in education and health.
• Volunteers are often crucial in encouraging collaboration and developing new networks.
• Our contribution to change is more complex than suggested by the existing Global Theory of Change.

Key finding about the evaluations

• The majority of the reports written and conducted by VSO staff scored 'minimum' standard, which performed better than externally authored ones.
• Evaluations rated fairly well at including the perspectives of primary actors in the evidence. 
• Evaluations were still weak on involving the people we are trying to help from the beginning of the evaluation.

Download the full report and recommendations [PDF]