In follow up to my previous blog posting that explored techniques and tips for visually communicating program findings and results, I asked Leah Goldstein Moses of the Improve Group to write a blog topic that provides a little more information about what is program evaluation and the benefits of sharing those results with various audiences in a usable format.
————–
Program evaluation is the process of exploring the efficiency, effectiveness and qualities of programs. Informally, staff and other stakeholders may be constantly monitoring their successes and challenges as they go about their work. A more formal process typically goes through a cycle of identifying questions, designing an evaluation approach, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting findings to stakeholders.
When you do have evaluation findings, a variety of audiences may benefit from learning them:
- Staff can learn how effective different practices are and focus their efforts on those that are the most effective
- Administrators or program managers can identify which programs need additional support or clarification
- Program participants can learn what makes the program successful and how the program might work for them
- Funders can determine whether they are supporting strong programs and how they can fund any supports that the program needs
- Volunteers, board members and other committed stakeholders can see how their efforts “paid off” and whether additional help is needed
For example, one of our clients, a nonprofit housing organization that offers a host of supportive services to its residents, used their evaluation findings to help staff develop work plans, establish a resident council committee, and seek new funds to support the programs that were demonstrating strong results.
Leah Goldstein Moses is president and CEO of the Improve Group, a research, evaluation and strategic planning firm.