Chapter 3 - Inception, Desk and Field phases

EVAL Manual for Evaluation Contractors > 3. Inception, Desk and Field phases

3. Inception, Desk and Field phases

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First, log into the EVAL module using Mozilla Firefox (if you do not have access to Mozilla Firefox (recommended browser), you may use Google Chrome instead. You will be automatically directed to the "MY EVAL" page, which displays all ongoing evaluations for which you are a Contractor or Expert. If you are not immediately redirected to the EVAL homepage, you can copy and paste the EVAL link in the address bar of your browser.

In the "MY EVAL" page, click on the evaluation reference – blue hyperlink. The page of the respective evaluation will open and the general tab will be displayed by default.

In the upper part of the general tab you can find an overview of the evaluation information (budget, title, DAC code etc.) and of the evaluation schedule.

Note that deadlines are not blocking; you may still provide deliverables after the date of the phase has passed.

Scroll down to review the CRIS data of the project(s) to be evaluated as well as a list of additional project(s) that can be relevant to the evaluation (if applicable). These projects are listed in the box "Additional CRIS references for documentation" and the related documents are retrieved from the CRIS library and shared via the module.

In the bottom part of the general tab you may find previous evaluations reports concerning the project(s) to be evaluated, Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) reports and results datasets. Click on the links to consult the evaluations or ROM reports.

Only the final versions of the ROM reports are shared via EVAL.

For an overview of the parties involved in the evaluation, consult the "Evaluation stakeholders" tab.

To download project and programme documents relevant to your evaluation, open the library tab, then select "CRIS library". On the left side of your screen, select a CRIS reference. The content linked to the selected CRIS reference is shown under the "Available Documents" section.
Tick the checkbox on the right to select the files that you wish to download. The selected documents will be listed in the "Selected files" section. Click "Download"; a confirmation pops up. If you confirm, a ZIP file is generated and you will be able to download it through your browser.

You can browse the "Evaluation library" for an overview of contractual information and the final version of the Terms of Reference. As reports are uploaded and approved, their final versions will be available in this tab. This tab will be accessible to EC staff for consultation.

If your notifications are enabled, you will receive an e-mail reminding you to submit the reports. Please copy the link in the notification e-mail and paste it into Mozilla Firefox. Alternatively, open your evaluation in the EVAL module through 'My Eval' and go to the 'Management' tab.
Click on the "Upload document" button on the bottom right side of your screen. A pop-up will be displayed. Fill in the document title and category selecting "Report" from the drop-down list – and click on "Save".

Upload the report by clicking on the blue "Upload document" icon, then click on "Save" to validate. You can upload the same document in other languages by clicking on the "+ Add" button.

As soon as the document is saved, the pop-up will be automatically closed. At this stage, the document is in "Draft" status and can be still substituted with a new one. The Evaluation Manager cannot see documents in "Draft" status.
In the "Management" tab, click on the "Submit for approval" button to send the report to the Evaluation Manager.

You can upload other documents choosing the appropriate category. Note that the button "Submit for approval" is only displayed for approval of mandatory reports. Complementary documents (such as Annexes) can be uploaded at any time during the phase.
The report is submitted to the Evaluation Manager for approval. He/she will receive a notification. The report will be sent in consultation for comments to the reference group members.
The report will be approved or sent back for modifications via the EVAL module. The Evaluation Manager may also upload a file with his/her comments as well as comments by the reference group members. If you are requested to submit an amended version of the report, please return to step 15. Note that the EVAL module has a versioning system: for mandatory deliverables (identified with the category "Report") only the latest version will be saved in the repository, and only the latest, approved version will be made available in the evaluation library.