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Question:
How would one evaluate an education oriented project, Can you list steps?
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Answer:

Hey Ronald,
Thank you for stopping by Ask an Advisor and for offering a great question. Phew, that’s a big one and believe me, one that many people ask and then scratch their heads in wonder given the enormity of the task. This is really a very salient topic given that we live in accountable times (e.g., to funders, to stakeholders, to clients and constituents, et al.) so I think that other people will be very interested in our discussion. Part of my own training and background is in applied research and evaluation so I'm always happy to render advice in this regard. Well, let me say that evaluating a project does have multiple steps as you so correctly surmised and in all honesty it does take some training and experience to conduct it with rigor; it is after all, a scientific endeavor, social science, but science nonetheless. For example, regardless of type of project or program (e.g., education, public health, community development, etc.) the steps of an evaluation would necessarily include: 1) determining who should be included in the evaluation process and working with them as collaborative partners from the beginning to end of the evaluation; 2) a description of the project, which aspects are to be evaluated and why they are to be evaluated (e.g., processes, outcomes, or impacts); 3) developing the evaluation questions to be answered; 4) determining the most rigorous design (e.g., pre-test/post-test, quasi-experimental, etc.) and methods (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) to answer your evaluation questions; 5) determining the sampling frame and a sampling strategy (e.g., convenience, probability, purposive, etc.); 6) determining the data to be collected and the extent to which it is available and accessible, then collecting it; 7) data analytical strategies based on the data that was collected and the evaluation questions; 8) data interpretation; 9) writing up the results/findings in report form including data visualization techniques; and finally, 10) sharing the results and findings with key stake-holders. That's a lot. Okay, that gives you an idea about what needs to be done, but again, there is so much more to conducting an evaluation than just implementing steps because you need to consider the context in which the evaluation will take place including both the internal and external political climate, who will be impacted by the evaluation, who will see and use the information, and how you will ensure that findings are actually used for decision-making. That said, I'm going to offer you two key pieces of advice. First, if evaluation is not a domain in which you feel comfortable or don't have much experience there is no shame in consulting or contracting with an external evaluator if it is feasible (i.e., within time and budgetary constraints) to do so. Let me be clear, it is far, far better to ask for assistance than trying to conduct an evaluation that lacks rigor; it is a very complicated and somewhat messy (ah, not dirt wise, just a lot of moving parts that need constant attention) endeavor. Second, if it's not feasible to consult or contract an external evaluator (or if there isn't anyone with the requisite training who will volunteer to serve in this capacity) then let me steer you to the resources we have in the Community Tool Box regarding evaluation - and let me say as someone who is trained in applied research and evaluation, what you'll find here is really solid and explains things clearly and concisely. After all, we're all about "how-to." If you go to our home page you'll notice the Learn a Skill (how-to information) button in the top left corner. Click it on and the click on table of contents and scroll down to "Evaluating Community Programs and Initiatives." This section provides you with information about developing a plan for evaluation, evaluation methods, and using evaluation to understand and improve the initiative. You will notice there are four chapters (36 - 39) and one toolkit (12) dedicated to evaluation. There is enough information contained therein that is directly applicable to what needs to be done. Alrighty then Ronald, I think that just about covers your question. I hope you find this information useful. Again, if you don't feel comfortable with the evaluative enterprise then please bring in someone to help, there is no shame at all. Let us know if you have any other questions and thank you for sharing your question with us. Always remember you are never alone! Best to you.
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Question Date: أربعاء, 04/13/2016