ASSESSMENT OF EVALUATION NEEDS AND CAPACITY

BENEFIT: Determines greatest evaluation needs, what your organization can accomplish internally and what may require external support.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Assessing information needs and users of that information; identifying available or potentially available data; determining feasible options given current staffing and resources.

ORGANIZATIONAL EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING

BENEFIT: Strengthens internal capacity to design and implement program evaluation.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Group workshops on topics such as logic modeling, evaluation design, use of data for decision-making or other topics of interest.

EVALUATION FRAMEWORK OR PLAN

BENEFIT: Articulates specific evaluation needs and goals; identifies necessary information to understand desired impact and how the impact was (or was not) achieved.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Development of evaluation questions, key indicators or information needs, and potentially a full plan for the collection, analysis, and use of those data.

INTERPRETING DATA TO MAKE DECSIONS

BENEFIT: Data-informed improvements to programming based on identified successes, challenges, and opportunities.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Review and discussion of data and information; recommendations for action.

ONGOING EVALUATIVE CONSULTATION

BENEFIT: Regular engagement to facilitate ongoing learning and decision-making. Particularly useful for new organizations or programs, or those undergoing substantial change.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Sharing of ideas, tools, and/or resources with leadership or identified staff. Review and discussion of data or other information.

STORYTELLING

BENEFIT: Know and share the impact of your work beyond numbers; learn about community or participant perspectives of what matters and why.

WHAT IT ENTAILS: Qualitative inquiry, such as interviews, with program participants, community members, thought leaders, or others to learn and share their perspectives, knowledge, and wisdom.