Meta-evaluation of baseline studies of the Brazilian Family Health Strategy Expansion Project: a participatory and formative approach.

A participatory, formative meta-evaluation of baseline studies in Brazil is presented. International standards recommended by associations of evaluators were used, along with "specificity" criteria built up using the terms of reference for proposals for the selection of studies. The methodological approach combined a "peer review" of baseline study reports, with a participatory (self) assessment for "primary" evaluators, the average of which provided the final score.