Baseline (back to top)

Data that describe the situation to be addressed by a programme, subprogramme or project and that serve as the starting point for measuring performance. A baseline study would be the analysis describing the situation prior to the commencement of the programme or project or the situation following initial commencement of the programme or project to serve as a basis of comparison and progress for future analyses. It is used to determine the accomplishments/results and serves as an important reference for evaluation.

See also: “Target”

Benchmark (back to top)

Reference point or standard against which performance or achievement can be assessed. A benchmark often refers to an intermediate target to measure progress within a given period as well as to the performance of other comparable organizational entities.

See also: “Interim performance measures”

Beneficiary (back to top)

The individual, group, or organization, whether targeted or not, that benefit, directly or indirectly, from the implementation of a programme, project or output.

See also: “End-user”, “Target group”

Best practice (back to top)

Planning, organization, managerial and/or operational practices that have proven successful in particular circumstances and which can have both specific and/ universal applicability. Best practices are used to demonstrate what works most effectively and to accumulate and apply knowledge about how and why they work in different situations and contexts.

See also: “Learning”, “Lesson learned”

Bias (back to top)

Anything that produces systematic error in an evaluation finding. Bias may result in over- or under-estimating the object of evaluation or assessment.

See also: “Attribution”,”Causal relationship”, “Evidence”

Budget fascicle (back to top)

Document containing proposed programmatic, financial and resource information of a budget section for the forthcoming biennium and submitted to the General Assembly for approval.

See: “Logical framework”, “Project/Programme cycle management”, “Results-based management (RBM)”