The 2010 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation

This Handbook was developed to provide project directors and principal investigators working with the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a basic guide for evaluating NSF’s educational projects. It is aimed at people who need to learn more about both the value of evaluation and how to design and carry out an evaluation, rather than those who already have a solid base of experience in the field. It builds on firmly established principles, blending technical knowledge and common sense to meet the special needs of NSF and its stakeholders. The Handbook discusses quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, suggesting ways in which they can be used as complements in an evaluation strategy. As a result of reading this Handbook, it is expected that principal investigators will increase their understanding of the evaluation process and NSF’s requirements for evaluation, as well as gain knowledge that will help them to communicate with evaluators and obtain data that help them improve their work.