Designing the evaluation with your evaluator requires a clear articulation of roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Please review the following:
Provider Roles and Responsibilities
- Understand what it would take, in terms of evaluation design, data elements, and data collection tools, to answer your top priority evaluation questions
- Review evaluation design, data elements, and data collection methods with evaluator
- Review measures to ensure they capture what you think is important about your program and how you think your program’s activities will yield the desired behaviors in participants
Evaluator Roles and Responsibilities
- Explain to your client the three types of evaluation designs (implementation, outcomes monitoring, impact)
- Describe the data collection methods that could be used to best collect the information
- Work with provider to select evaluation design, data elements, and data collection methods
- Work with provider to select and/or design and test measures
- Develop a data management system – an information collection and analysis system, usually computerized, that facilitates access to program and participant information. It is usually designed and used for administrative purposes to generate reports. The types of information typically included in a data management system are service delivery measures, such as session, contacts, or referrals; staff caseloads; client sociodemographic information (e.g. race, education, relationship status); client attendance rates and program outcomes. Many systems can be adapted to meet evaluation requirements. The system should be user-friendly and the information should be readily accessible. See the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center Creating a Plan for your Outcome Measuring System-Data Collection Procedures and Planning.
- Prepare for data collection
Joint Responsibilities
- Discuss the information needed to answer the top priority evaluation questions
- Reality-test the feasibility of answering your top priority question
Other Resources
- The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation National Science Foundation
- Developing process evaluation questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Harrel, A., Burt, M., Hatry, H., Rossman, S., Roth, J. & Sabol., W. (n.d.). Evaluation strategies for human services programs. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
- "Evaluation Resource Guide for Responsible Fatherhood Program," Office of Family Assistance.
- Data Collection Methods, the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center
- Checklist for Data Collection Design, the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation. The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation Glossary.