Evaluation is all about defining program outcomes and then measuring progress towards those outcomes. “Outcomes” is a strange word. Think of outcomes as goals. In particular, programs need SMART goals. Programs with SMART goals are more likely to be successful and efficient than programs with…
If you want people to use evaluation results to really improve programs, then you need to help them understand the results. This isn’t automatic, instant, or natural for most people. Evaluation is a way of thinking and evaluators have an opportunity to teach these critical thinking…
Yes, this post is based on the assumption that evaluators are responsible for teaching new skills to the people who fund, manage, and run social programs. Capacity building is a big part of my role as an internal evaluator, and I’m a big proponent of utilization-focused evaluation. Do…
Are evaluators responsible for making sure that evaluation results are used by those funding the program or running the program? Or, should evaluators focus on providing results? Does our responsibility end once the results are disseminated? This is something I’ve been thinking about for years,…
Evaluators are funny people. We like to evaluate everything, from programs, to ourselves, to our own evaluations. I often ask myself, “How do I know my evaluation is working?” As an internal evaluator in a DC youth center, one of my tasks is to create…