Good program evaluations assess program performance, measure impacts on families and communities, and document program successes. With this information, programs are able to direct limited resources to where they are most needed and most effective in their communities.

Many people believe program evaluation is a useless activity that generates lots of boring data with useless conclusions. This was a problem with evaluations in the past when program evaluation methods were chosen largely on the basis of achieving complete scientific accuracy, reliability and validity. This approach often generated extensive data from which very carefully chosen conclusions were drawn. Generalizations and recommendations were avoided. As a result, evaluation reports tended to reiterate the obvious and left program administrators disappointed and skeptical about the value of evaluation in general. More recently, program evaluation has focused on utility, relevance and practicality at least as much as scientific validity.

Many people believe that evaluation is about proving the success or failure of a program. This myth assumes that success is implementing the perfect program and never having to hear from employees, customers or clients again -- the program will now run itself perfectly. This doesn't happen in real life. Success is remaining open to continuing feedback and adjusting the program accordingly. Evaluation gives you this continuing feedback.

Many believe that evaluation is a highly unique and complex process that occurs at a certain time in a certain way, and almost always includes the use of outside experts. Many people believe they must completely understand terms such as validity and reliability. They don't have to. They do have to consider what information they need in order to make current decisions about program issues or needs. And they have to be willing to commit to understanding what is really going on. Note that many people regularly undertake some nature of program evaluation -- they just don't do it in a formal fashion so they don't get the most out of their efforts or they make conclusions that are inaccurate (some evaluators would disagree that this is program evaluation if not done methodically). Consequently, they miss precious opportunities to make more of difference for their customer and clients, or to get a bigger bang for their buck.

The following checklist might prove useful when planning evaluations for programs.
1. Name of Organization
2. Name of Program
3. 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
__ 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)

4. 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

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. Where Should Information Be Collected From?
__ Staff/employees
__ Clients/customers
__ Program documentation
__ Funders/Investors

8. How Can Information Be Collected in Reasonable and Realistic Fashion?
__ questionnaires
__ interviews
__ documentation
__ observing clients/customers
__ observing staff/employees
__ conducting focus groups

Creative Funding Solutions, Inc. employs a team of professional evaluators who are qualified to assist your organization with meeting grant award requirements and objectives. We can help! Whether your project is big or small.

For more information and price quotes for our program evaluation services, please contact Jennie Larry Johnson at 832-524-7667 or jjohnson@creativefundingsolutions.info