Background knowledge

From EvaluationWiki

In order to do a good evaluation, external evaluators have to be 'quick studies,' that is, they must be able to pick up a great deal of background knowledge very quickly. This will include subject-matter knowledge, e.g., knowledge about drug addiction treatment, which can be largely acquired by suitable reading; but it must also include two other dimensions of background knowledge. One is the history of the project or program under review, particularly the prior history of evaluations if any; the other is the current context, which includes the present stakeholders, donors, staff, recipients and their associated cultures, which may be multiple.