Checklist for Program Evaluation Planning
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.The following checklist might prove useful when planning evaluations for programs. The reader would benefit from first reading Basic Guide to Program Evaluation.
Name of Organization
Name of Program
Purpose of Evaluation?
What do you want to be able to decide as a result of the evaluation?
For example:
__ Understand, verify or increase impact of products or services
on customers/clients (eg, outcomes evaluation)
__ Improve delivery mechanisms to be more efficient and less costly
(eg, process evaluation)
__ Verify that we're doing what we think we're doing (eg, process
evaluation)
__ Clarify program goals, processes and outcomes for management
planning
__ Public relations
__ Program comparisons, eg., to decide which should be retained
__ Fully examine and describe effective programs for duplication
elsewhere
__ Other reason(s)
Audience(s) for the Evaluation?
Who are the audiences for the information from the evaluation,
for example:
__ Clients/customers
__ Funders/Investors
__ Board members
__ Management
__ Staff/employees
__ Other(s) _________________________________________________
What Kinds of Information Are Needed?
What kinds of information are needed to make the decision
you need to make and/or enlighten your intended audiences, for
example, information to understand:
__ The process of the product or service delivery (its inputs,
activities and outputs)
__ The customers/clients who experience the product or service
__ Strengths and weaknesses of the product orservice
__ Benefits to customers/clients (outcomes)
__ How the product or service failed and why, etc.
__ Other type(s) of information?
Type of Evaluation?
Based on the purpose of the evaluation and the kinds of information
needed, what types of evaluation is being planned?
__ Goal-based?
__ Process-based?
__ Outcomes-based?
__ Other(s)? ___________________________________________________
Where Should Information Be Collected From?
__ Staff/employees
__ Clients/customers
__ Program documentation
__ Funders/Investors
__ Other(s) ________________________________________________
How Can Information Be Collected in Reasonable and Realistic
Fashion?
__ questionnaires
__ interviews
__ documentation
__ observing clients/customers
__ observing staff/employees
__ conducting focus groups among_____________________________________
__ other(s)
When is the Information Needed?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
What Resources Are Available to Collect the Information?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
For the Category of Evaluations (Many Kinds):
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
General Information (Applying to Many Types Evaluation)
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Field
Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. There are few books, if any, that explain how to carefully plan, organize, develop and evaluate a nonprofit program. Also, too many books completely separate the highly integrated activities of planning, marketing and evaluating programs. This book integrates all three into a comprehensive, straightforward approach that anyone can follow in order to provide high-quality programs with strong appeal to funders. Includes many online forms that can be downloaded. Many materials in this Library topic are adapted from this book.
Also see
For evaluating employees, Supervision -- Recommended Books
For evaluating nonprofit programs, Program Management -- Recommended Books
