Evaluation and Analysis

How Do We Use Evaluation?

Principles for evaluation of FNP programmes

Because of the scale of the Foundation?s activity and its importance for the whole of Polish system of funding science, its programmes must be subjected to systematic evaluation. Evaluation serves to analyse the purposefulness, quality and results of the programmes being run, thus also supporting the process of building FNP?s programme strategy.

FNP evaluation is conducted in three forms:

  • current monitoring
  • internal evaluation
  • external evaluation

Monitoring

After the completion of an edition of a programme or a significant stage thereof, a review is made of its progress, the results and any problems encountered. Any doubts, remarks and suggestions for the future are then formulated.

Monitoring serves the following purposes:

  • current analysis of ongoing activity (constituting an ?early warning? system about difficulties which may arise),
  • involvement of coordinators in assessment of the programmes which they run,
  • periodically conducted evaluation.

Internal evaluation

Each of the Foundation?s programmes is subjected to internal evaluation every 4?5 years. The purpose of this is to make a careful analysis of the purposefulness and quality of activities undertaken, to identify critical points and to make recommendations for the future.

Internal evaluation includes:

  • analysis of programme procedures and documents,
  • surveys of beneficiaries and possibly other people involved in a programme (e.g. reviewers, academic supervisors of scholarship holders),
  • interviews with beneficiaries and persons involved in the running of programmes,
  • analysis of statistical data relating to programmes,
  • analysis of the external context of FNP programmes (comparison with what is offered by other institutions providing support for science).

External evaluation

An objective assessment of the FNP?s programmes is to be ensured by entrusting the task to outside experts ? persons independent of the Foundation and recognized as authorities in the scientific community. The purpose of external evaluation is to evaluate the programmes offered by FNP in terms of the Foundation?s role and mission, the needs of the scientific community, the international perspective and the standards of the best foreign institutions financing the development of science.

Reports and evaluation analysis