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Clarifying the question
Worksheet
Download the worksheet for evaluation planning (doc, 43 kB) and record your planning. This will constitute a basis for the evaluation report.
The first step is to narrow
down the question(s) that the evaluation is to answer. To this ends,
you should follow items a-e (cf. also evaluationsnetz, 2005).
a) Develop an overview of the underlying conditions!
This includes answering the following questions:
1. What are the goals and contents of the project / program?
2. Who are the target group of the project / program? How many people are in the target group?
3. Which phase is the project / program in?
4. What is to be evaluated? What is the object of the evaluation ?
object of the evaluation
Evaluand; object that is being evaluated, whether that object is a => project or => program. Evaluation process The logical procedure involving planning, executing, and analysing an => evaluation.
5. Within what timeframe of time should the evaluation be carried out?
6. What resources (people, finance) are
available for the evaluation?
b) Identify the stakeholders and their respective interests! Include the relevant stakeholders in the following planning steps!
stakeholders
A group of people that are or should be involved in, or that are affected by the => evaluation.
1. Who has what interest in the evaluation? Who is the client for the evaluation? Who make decisions?
2. Who wants to use the results of the evaluation?
3. Should the evaluation results be used as feedback for improvements during the project or program process (formative evaluation) ?
(formative evaluation)
“A type of process evaluation of new programs or services that focuses on collecting data on program operations so that needed changes or modifications can be made to the program in the early stages. This type of (=>) evaluation is carried out while a (=>) project or (=>) program is implemented in order to provide timely, continuous feedback as work progresses”. (From: Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, Formative Evaluation)
4. Should the evaluation results be treated as a final project or program assessment (summative evaluation) ?
(summative evaluation)
Summative evaluation allows the [subsequent] control of quality, effects and usefulness of an educational course. The question of interest is whether an educational course or individual components of the course can meet certain expectations in practice (translated from Tergan, 2000).
5. Who should be informed about the results of the evaluation and when?
IMPORTANT Program evaluation always depends on data from individual projects. Thus, inform those involved in the project at an early stageabout what information you expect from them and when. Particularly if you want to use the results of the project evaluations for the program evaluation, it should be clear for all those involved in the project how the project is to be evaluated and when which data is to be provided in which form.
c) Determine the focus
of the evaluation!
1. Which
information should the evaluation provide?
2. On which level(s) should the evaluation occur?
3. Which question(s) could the evaluation answer?
=> You can find information about the evaluation levels and some ideas on how to specify the evaluation question in the introductory chapter (see page on Evaluation levels).
d) Analyse the existing information and / or data!
1. Is there any information and/or data (such as project or evaluation reports) which should be considered?
2. Can this information or data be used as a (partial) response to the evaluation question?
e)
Set priorities! An evaluation cannot cover every issue exhaustively, so it is important to concentrate on the
most important goals and questions of the evaluation. Discuss
the priorities with the stakeholders.
1. On which questions should the
evaluation focus – if the resources are limited?
2. Which information that the evaluation should produce is crucial?
3. Which information is less important (nice to have)?
Proceed to the next planning step: Planning the implementation
