Meta-evaluation is obviously a good idea that too often is foregone because of limited resources (especially when the evaluation may often be underfunded). Large, high profile, and expensive evaluations of equally large, high profile and expensive initiatives are more likely to incorporate meta-evaluation to assure that the evaluation meets accepted quality standards, and that evaluative judgements and conclusions are trustworthy. Such an example is the meta-evaluation of the evaluation of the Paris Declaration on Development Aid. The evaluation received the 2012 Outstanding Evaluation Award from the American Evaluation Association. The evaluation looks at how the principles of aid effectiveness have been put into practice by international development partners and the results this is having in developing countries. The international joint evaluation include a synthesis report, 21 country evaluations, 7 donor studies and several thematic reviews.
The meta-evaluation, conducted by M. Q. Patton identifies strengths, weaknesses and lessons learned from this large scale evaluation.
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