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Glossary

You have seen the word “efficiency” in many of our resources but wonder what it really means? You need the definition of a word for a reference? Please find below a complete glossary of organizational assessment.  With almost 100 definitions available, this glossary should help you clarify the terms you need to understand organizational assessment in a comprehensive manner. You can find the words either by searching alphabetically or by selecting the exact word you are looking for in the list.


Reliability

The quality of a measurement process that would produce similar results from (1) repeated observations of the same condition or event, or from (2) multiple observations of the same condition or event by different means. Reliability also refers to the extent that a data collection instrument will yield the same results each time it is administered. In qualitative research, reliability refers to the extent that different researchers, given exposure to the same situation, would reach the same conclusions.*

All definitions are taken from the following source:
OECD - Development Assistance Committee Network on Development Evaluation. (2002). Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results-Based Management. 40 pp.

This glossary is also available in French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Kiswahili, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish at the following website: http://www.oecd.org/

Definitions that are followed by an asterisk symbol (*) were either slightly modified for simplicity reasons or were taken from:
Lusthaus, C., Adrien, M.-H., Anderson, G., Carden, F. & Montalván, G. P. (2002). Organizational Assessment: A Framework for Improving Performance. 210 pp.

The book can be read, downloaded or even ordered at the following website http://www.idrc.ca/

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