Do we really care about unintended outcomes? An analysis of evaluation theory and practice

The concept of 'unintended outcomes' has a long history. Contributions to the topic have appeared under the guise of various disciplinary lenses, including programme evaluation. There is now solid consensus among the international evaluation community regarding the need to consider side effects as a key aspect in any evaluative study. However, this concern often equates to nothing more than false piety. In this article, shortcomings of existing theoretical developments to evaluate unintended outcomes are identified. Current evaluation practices in international development are then analysed to demonstrate ways in which unintended outcomes remain peripheral. Reasons for neglect are discussed and the need for a stronger re-focusing on unintended effects of development interventions is advocated.