Applying contribution analysis: Lessons from five years of practice

Abstract

Contribution analysis (CA) has been advocated and discussed more than it has been applied. This article draws on five evaluations applying CA in the context of EU policies in the areas of development aid, agriculture, employment, and governance. Over the last five years, the authors have developed their capacity to implement the six steps of CA and especially to draft contribution stories and to make contribution claims. These practical efforts have, in turn, caused them to explore the foundations of the approach and refine and operationalize key concepts such as contribution claim, causal mechanism, and strength of evidence.