This guide is intended for anyone conducting an evaluation of a program to understand the scope of the evaluation. The guide outlines questions evaluators can ask program managers or other stakeholders to better understand the scope of the program and its evaluation. Scoping an evaluation is often exploratory, therefore the questions outlined in this guide do not have to be answered in a linear process.

In most cases, scoping is followed by a planning phase or a quote for an evaluation. The questions in the guide are intended to help evaluators begin formulating a quote and/or an evaluation plan; however, it can also be used identify disagreements or gaps in what is known about the program and/or the boundaries of the evaluation.