Principles are the foundation for a system of beliefs, and they are guidelines we use to make decisions in the face of change. For example, a principle could be Murphy's Law, which states "whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Principles-focused evaluation can be used to determine how well principles are being followed, and whether following the principle is having the intended effects or not. In the Murphy's Law example, the intent of following this principle might to anticipate and avoid situations that go wrong. An evaluator might ask, "Why did things go wrong? Why didn't things go wrong that could have?"

See also: program evaluation

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