The purpose of this article is to extend the discussion of issues currently being debated on the need for more rigorous program evaluation in educational and other sectors of research, to the field of international development evaluation, reviewing the different approaches which can be adopted to rigorous evaluation methodology and their applicability in a development setting. The authors seek common ground on ways to strengthen the methodological rigor and quality of development impact evaluations, while adapting the methodology to the technical, administrative, political and sociocultural contexts within which these evaluations are developed, implemented and used. The authors conclude that given the current limitations of randomized control trials (RCTs) that it is necessary to identify other means of undertaking impact studies that address the time and budget constraints under which evaluators are frequently forced to operate. The report presents a range of designs with a range of costs and rigor. The authors suggest that where the most rigorous designs are not possible then a good theory-based approach will lend plausibility to the findings. (Contains 1 table.)