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What can we learn about unintended consequences from a textual analysis of monitoring reports and evaluations for U.S. foreign assistance programs?

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  • de Alteriis, Martin

Abstract

In recent years, articles in Evaluation and Program Planning have noted the importance of evaluating programs’ unintended consequences, and the need to increase our knowledge in that area. To that end, this paper considers the information that can be obtained about the unintended consequences of foreign assistance programs through an automated textual analysis and review of publicly-available monitoring reports and evaluations. Automated full text searches for terms synonymous with ‘unintended consequences’ were conducted of more than 1,300 monitoring reports and evaluations downloaded from a publicly-available database of foreign assistance programs. The reports identified by the automated searches were screened and analyzed to determine which had considered and/or reported about such consequences. Positive and negative consequences were identified, as were the assistance sectors and recipient countries. While this study makes available more information on the unintended consequences of foreign assistance programs, it also emphasizes the need for greater research in this area, and outlines how a future research project of this nature might obtain more data.

Suggested Citation

  • de Alteriis, Martin, 2020. "What can we learn about unintended consequences from a textual analysis of monitoring reports and evaluations for U.S. foreign assistance programs?," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:epplan:v:79:y:2020:i:c:s0149718919303192
    DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2020.101779
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Morell, Jonathan A., 2018. "Systematic iteration between model and methodology: A proposed approach to evaluating unintended consequences," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 243-252.
    2. Jabeen, Sumera, 2018. "Unintended outcomes evaluation approach: A plausible way to evaluate unintended outcomes of social development programmes," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 262-274.
    3. Lemon, Adrienne & Pinet, Mélanie, 2018. "Measuring unintended effects in peacebuilding: What the field of international cooperation can learn from innovative approaches shaped by complex contexts," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 253-261.
    4. Jabeen, Sumera, 2016. "Do we really care about unintended outcomes? An analysis of evaluation theory and practice," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 144-154.
    5. Bamberger, Michael & Tarsilla, Michele & Hesse-Biber, Sharlene, 2016. "Why so many “rigorous” evaluations fail to identify unintended consequences of development programs: How mixed methods can contribute," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 155-162.
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    Cited by:

    1. Davidson, Angus Alexander & Young, Michael Denis & Leake, John Espie & O’Connor, Patrick, 2022. "Aid and forgetting the enemy: A systematic review of the unintended consequences of international development in fragile and conflict-affected situations," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    2. Schuster, Roseanne C. & Brewis, Alexandra & Wutich, Amber & Safi, Christelle & Vanrespaille, Teresa Elegido & Bowen, Gina & SturtzSreetharan, Cindi & McDaniel, Anne & Ochandarena, Peggy, 2023. "Individual interviews versus focus groups for evaluations of international development programs: Systematic testing of method performance to elicit sensitive information in a justice study in Haiti," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).

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