This thesis concerns the evaluation of projects/programs in developing countries. Based on the example of four projects in Burkina Faso, this research wondered about the relevance of the type of external evaluation to favor between an ex-ante evaluation (evaluation before) or a mid-term evaluation. It was also necessary to question the causes of an insufficient practice of evaluation in developing countries. From various investigations led with beneficiaries of humanitarian projects, it is possible to demonstrate that it is more interesting to choose a mid-term external evaluation which favors the achievement of the objectives aimed by the project. Besides, by questioning the main actors of projects: consultants, NGOs, donors, ministries, etc. it emerges that the first three reasons which slow down the practice of the external evaluation are: ignorance of the legitimacy of evaluations, the high cost of evaluations and the perception of evaluation as a sanction (control). Finally, this thesis proposes practical tools in projects evaluation. Indeed, a critical look concerned the evaluation in binomial. Besides, by taking the concrete example of an evaluation mission accomplished in Mali, various phases related to the conduct of a project evaluation, starting from the order to the delivery of the appraisal report as well as the data and/or information collection, were detailed.
