Commonwealth Evaluation Toolkit
Evaluation plays a critical role in helping the Australian Public Service (APS) understand what works, why it works, and how policies and programs can be improved. The Commonwealth Evaluation Toolkit provides practical guidance, tools and resources to support the planning, commissioning, conduct and use of evaluations across the Australian Government.
Developed by the Australian Centre for Evaluation within the Treasury, the Toolkit supports agencies to embed evaluation into policy and program design, strengthen the use of evidence in decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. It provides a consistent approach to evaluation while remaining flexible enough to support a wide range of government contexts and activities.
This resource supports evidence-informed policy and program delivery across the APS.
What are the benefits?
- Builds capability to plan, commission and conduct high-quality evaluations
- Supports evidence-informed policy development and service delivery
- Improves understanding of what works, for whom and under what circumstances
- Promotes consistent and robust evaluation practices across government
- Strengthens accountability, transparency and continuous improvement
- Helps agencies demonstrate the effectiveness and value of programs and initiatives
What this resource covers
- Planning evaluations: Defining evaluation objectives, scope and key evaluation questions.
- Evaluation design and methods: Selecting appropriate approaches, methodologies and evidence sources.
- Commissioning and managing evaluations: Supporting agencies to engage and work effectively with evaluators.
- Collecting and analysing evidence: Using qualitative and quantitative data to assess program outcomes and impacts.
- Using evaluation findings: Translating evidence into actionable insights to improve policy, programs and services.
- Evaluation resources and templates: Providing practical tools, examples and supporting materials for evaluation activities.