How to Develop Terms of Reference for Evaluation Projects

This Guideline provides an outline of the key issues to be covered in evaluation terms of reference. The Guideline can be adapted and used as a template to produce the TORs. Additionally, the Guideline can be applied and adapted accordingly for internal and external evaluations.

This Guideline is designed to apply across all spheres of government. We refer here to the role of the ‘evaluation custodian’. In evaluations under the National Evaluation Plan (NEP), the evaluation custodian is the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). In evaluations under the Provincial Evaluation Plans the evaluation custodian is the Office of the Premier. In departmental evaluations the evaluation custodian is the M&E Unit in that department. In State Owned Enterprises and Municipalities this is likely also to be the M&E Units in an SOE.