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Table of Contents >
   Part J. Evaluating Community Programs and Initiatives
      Chapter 36. Introduction to Evaluation >
         Section 5. Developing an Evaluation Plan >
             Tools & Checklists - A checklist that summarizes the major points contained in the section. >

Developing an Evaluation Plan

  

Tools & Checklists

 Contributed by Chris Hampton Edited by Vincent T. Francisco and Bill Berkowitz

Tools

Tool 1: Table of Program Components and Elements
Tool 2: Evaluation Questions and Methods
Tool 3: Evaluation Timeline

Checklist

Tools

Tool 1: Table of Program Components and Elements

Risk/ Protective Factors

Program Components (Strategies)

Program Elements (Tactics)

Targets and Agents of Change

Mode/Context of Delivery




       



        



        



        


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Tool 2: Evaluation Questions and Methods


   

Type of Data Collection*

Experimental Design**

Key Evaluation Question(s)

Type of Management Information and Evaluation Measure(s)

Survey/
Scale

Structured Interview

Self Report/ Log

Direct Observation

Archival Records

Case Study

Pre-Posttest Control Group

Time Series

A.Planning and Implementation Issues

A. Descriptive and Process Measures

               
1. 1.                
2. 2.                
3. 3.                
4. 4.                
5. 5.                

B.Assessing Attainment of Objectives

B. Outcome Measures

               
1. 1.                
2. 2.                
3. 3.                
4. 4.                
5. 5.                

C.Impact on Participants

                 
1. 1.                
2. 2.                
3. 3.                
4. 4.                
5. 5.                

D.Impact on Community

                 
1. 1.                
2. 2.                
3. 3.                
4. 4.                
5. 5.                

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Tool 3: Evaluation Timeline

 

 

1998

1999

2000

2001

Monitoring System

M

 A 

M

 J 

 J 

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

A

 M 

 J 

 J 

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

 A 

 M 

 J 

 J 

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

 

 Establish system

                                                                           

 Train participants/staff in data entry

                                                                           

 Maintain system
 (data collection & reporting)

                                                                           

Critical Events

                                                                           

 Identify key people

                                                                           

 Conduct interviews

                                                                           

 Report results

                                                                           

Community-Level Indicators

                                                                           

 Identify local indicators

                                                                           

 Identify comparison site

                                                                           

 Secure data

                                                                           

 Report results

                                                                           

Other Indicators (e.g. behavioral surveys, data observations)

                                                                           

 Identify

                                                                           

 Secure data

                                                                           

 Report results

                                                                           

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Checklist

You understand that you should have an evaluation plan because...


___ It guides you through each step of the process of evaluation

___ It helps you decide what sort of information you and your stakeholders really need

___ It keeps you from wasting time gathering information that isn't needed

___ It helps you identify the best possible methods and strategies for getting the needed information

___ It helps you come up with a reasonable and realistic timeline for evaluation

___ Most importantly, it will help you improve your initiative!


You understand who your project or initiative's stakeholders are:

___ Community groups

___ Grantmakers and funders

___ University-based researchers


You have taken into consideration:

___ What stakeholders want to know about the evaluation

___ What decisions stakeholders need to make

___ How stakeholders would use the data to inform decisions


When considering how to balance costs and benefits, you have asked yourself the following questions:

___ What do you need to know?

___ What is required by the community?

___ What is required by funding?


You understand these four main steps to developing an evaluation plan:

___ Clarify program objectives and goals

___ Develop evaluation questions

___ Develop evaluation methods

___ Set up a timeline for evaluation activities


Clarify the objectives and goals of your initiative:

___ Make a table of program components and elements.


Develop evaluation questions:

___ You understand the four main categories of evaluation questions:

___ Planning and implementation issues

___ Assessing attainment of objectives

___ Impact on participants

___ Impact on the community

___ You have considered the best possible methods to answer those questions


Develop evaluation methods to best address those questions:

___ You understand how to use the monitoring and feedback system's three main elements (process measures, outcome measures, and observational system)

___ You understand how to use member surveys about the initiative (member survey of goals, member survey of process, and member survey of outcomes)

___ You understand how to use the goal attainment report

___ You understand how to use behavioral surveys

___ You understand how to use interviews with key participants

___ You know how to use community-level indicators of impact


Setting up a timeline for evaluation activities:

___ You understand that you should begin right now, or at least at the beginning of the initiative

___ You've outlined questions for each stage of development of the initiative

___ You've completed a table listing: key evaluation questions, type of evaluation measures to be used to answer them, type of data collection, and experimental design .

___ You've determined when you feel it's appropriate to provide feedback and reports

___ You will provide feedback and reports at the end of the evaluation

___ You will also provide periodic feedback and reports throughout the duration of the project or initiative

___ You've decided when the evaluation will end

___ You've mapped out a proposed evaluation timeline


Expected evaluation products:

___ You will make a report that you can share with everyone involved which includes effects expected by shareholders, differences in the behaviors of key individuals, and differences in conditions in the community

___ You've decided whether to also include specific tools (i.e., brief reports summarizing data), annual reports, quarterly or monthly reports from the monitoring system, and anything else that is mutually agreed upon between the organization and the evaluation team.


Evaluation standards:

___ You've decided what standards you will use to ensure an accurate and useful evaluation


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