Originally more oriented towards evaluation of social sector programs in developing countries, notably conditional cash transfers, impact evaluation is now being increasingly applied in other areas such as the agriculture, energy and transport.
Algselt arengumaade sotsiaalvaldkondade programmide hindamisele orienteeritud, eelkõige tingimuslik sularaha ülekandmine, on üha enam mõjude hindamist hakatud kasutama teistes valdkondades nagu põllumajandus, energeetika ja transport.