Complex development aid evaluations: The aid quality evaluation framework

International development aid donors are increasingly commissioning complex evaluations of aid, including those of its impacts over the long to very long term. This chapter outlines and reviews the Aid Quality Evaluation Framework (AQEF), which has been used in a number of these evaluations. The AQEF is a heuristic, evidence-based device that can be applied in a nuanced way to almost any development aid activity. While practical, the AQEF is a conceptually grounded framework that is based on robust and widely accepted knowledge of those generic factors that drive aid effectiveness. By looking at agreed drivers of aid effectiveness the AQEF caters specifically for the many situations in which it is not possible to directly observe or quantify the impact of an aid activity or activities on poverty reduction. The outlines the design of the AQEF and its applications (to aid impact in Laos, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam), the research methods needed to implement it, and identifies areas in which it can be improved.