Effective Date: April 1 ,2026
Applicable FAM Policies: 320 - Evaluation
Applicability: GNWT Departments and Housing NWT

INTERPRETATION

The GNWT, its partners and third parties associated with program design, monitoring and evaluation activities are required to adhere the Evaluation Standards set out by the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES). Parties to these activities will also comply with the GNWT Code of Conduct and the CES Code of Ethics.  

In addition, the standards are as follows:

Evaluations:

• Are carried out by a Credentialed Evaluator (CE) and an evaluation team that possesses the knowledge and competence required and that adopts roles and responsibilities that are articulated in writing at the outset of the evaluation;
• Have objectives and purposes that are clearly stated at the outset of the evaluation and that meet the needs of evaluation users;
• Are planned using effectiveness and efficiency as primary evaluation issues;
• Are planned to consider government-wide policies, where relevant, such as gender-based analysis and official languages;
• Have a clear, robust approach, design and methodology that is documented at the outset of the evaluation, and that allows for the collection and analysis of valid, reliable data;
• Include sufficient and appropriate consultation with major stakeholders;
• Include multiple lines of quantitative and qualitative evidence to support findings and conclusions;
• Are conducted in a neutral manner and with integrity in their relationships between evaluators and stakeholders;
• Individuals involved in evaluations are informed of the level of confidentiality and privacy that is afforded them under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPP); and/or any other relevant privacy legislation.

Evaluation reports:

• Are written and presented clearly and concisely;
• Include the information required to understand and reasonably sustain findings and conclusions;
• Provide readers with an appropriate context for the evaluation and the policy, program, service, and/or priority being evaluated;
• Identify the limitations of the evaluation in a way that informs readers about the reliability of findings and conclusions; 
• Present a logical flow of findings, conclusions and recommendations;
• Identify any exposure to risks noted through the evaluation;
• Include clear, actionable recommendations that aim to address the key issues or concerns identified; and 
• Include a management response and action plan prepared by the responsible program official or relevant manager(s).