DFAT policy stipulates that all significant Australian aid initiatives should be subject to at least one independent evaluation. These independent operational evaluations are commissioned and managed by DFAT areas with aid management responsibilities. They are an essential part of Australia's aid performance management and reporting system. A sample of operational evaluations completed in 2014 will be the subject of this review, conducted internally by ODE staff from July 2015 to January 2016.

The Review has three objectives:

1. To better understand the practices related to, and the quality of, independent operational evaluations and how these have changed since 2012
2. To provide information to support good quality, independent evaluations across the department, and
3. To promote better use of evaluations across the department and the aid community by facilitating opportunities for learning.
   The primary audience for this review is DFAT staff and management. The findings from the review can be used to inform the department's practices relating to evaluation.

The review plan will be published on this website once it has been endorsed by DFAT's Independent Evaluation Committee.