Test your Knowledge with this Exercise!

You may want to go through all the information in Stage 1 before you work through this exercise.

Download Adobe Flash for this exercise.

During the Analysis Stage of evaluation, evaluators use statistical and other analytic procedures to make sense of the data that have been collected.

This section is not meant to bring you to the level of analytical expertise of your evaluator. Rather, it will provide basic information regarding data analysis so that you will be able to understand the type of work that your evaluator will be doing at this stage.

In order to analyze data, your evaluator will need to have collected the data necessary to address your evaluation questions and set up a data entry and management system. Having a current program logic model depicts how the program should work, and the outcomes expected will help your evaluator structure the data analysis.

Learn more about

• Establishing your role during data analysis
• Different types of analyses
• Important analytic terms

Other Resources

• 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.
• The Urban Institute. (2008). Data methods. Washington, DC
• Taylor-Powell, E. & Renner, M. (2003). Analyzing qualitative data. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Extension.
• Hatry, H. & Cowan, J. (2004). Analyzing outcome information: Getting the most from data. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute