A comprehensive evaluation model was considered from inception of the Program in 1998, to measure the impacts of the Program on the covered population, using diverse methodological approaches. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) was thus asked to carry out an external evaluation of the impact of the Program in rural areas.

In 1999 IFPRI conducted a qualitative evaluation in rural areas, exploring, by means of focus groups, the perspectives of program recipients and community promoters with relation to the changes experienced in their lives, related directly or indirectly with the characteristics of the Program. The results of that evaluation were published in 2000.

As of 2000, the qualitative evaluation of the Program has been conducted by the Social Anthropology Research and Higher Studies Center (CIESAS, after its initials in Spanish). During that year an evaluation was performed regarding the operation and impacts of the Program on recipient families, communities, and international emigration, two years after the Program was instated in rural areas. CIESAS also carried out the qualitative evaluation when the Program expanded to urban areas. This Center qualitatively evaluated localities of 2500 to 15000 inhabitants in 2001, along with the respective follow-up in 2002. In 2003 CIESAS evaluated the operation of the Program and its early impacts in localities with more than 15,000 inhabitants. In 2004 it went back to rural zones to assess the mid-term impacts of Oportunidades on families and communities. Also in 2004, this Center carried out the operation of the component "Jóvenes con Oportunidades" (Youngsters with Oportunidades"). The qualitative component design is illustrated in the following diagram:

Diagram 2: Design of the qualitative evaluation

For the qualitative evaluation, CIESAS has favored the use of focus group and case study techniques at different levels of analysis: households, communities, and (health and education) institutions. Moreover, it has tried to analyze the processes occurring at different levels and agents upon application of the program. This is to determine the extent of interactions of the Program with other government agency programs, as well as with the communities and households, to affect the well-being of beneficiary families.