Transforming Programs Through Evaluation: A Practical Guide
At Three Hive, we know program evaluation can feel a bit overwhelming. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your approach, you probably have some questions. We’ve compiled answers to some of the question we often get asked.
What is Program Evaluation?
Program evaluation is a way to collect and analyze information to see how well a program is working. It helps you understand the effectiveness and efficiency of your projects and find areas for improvement.
Why is Program Evaluation Important?
Program evaluation is key because it provides insights that can help you make informed decisions, improve your program, and show results to those involved. It ensures that your efforts are making a difference and that resources are used wisely.
When Should You Conduct a Program Evaluation?
You can evaluate your program at different stages:
Formative Evaluation: During the development and implementation phases to improve the design.
Process Evaluation: While the program is running to see if it’s being implemented as planned.
Summative Evaluation: Usually at the end to assess the overall outcomes and goal achievement, and inform questions of program continuance.
Developmental Evaluation: Throughout the entirety of the planning and implementation of a complex or innovative initiative.
What Are the Steps in Conducting a Program Evaluation?
Define the Purpose: Know why you’re doing the evaluation and what you hope to achieve.
Develop Evaluation Questions: Create specific questions that your evaluation will answer.
Choose Methods: Pick the right methods for collecting and analyzing data.
Collect Data: Gather information through surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.
Analyze Data: Look at the data to understand what it means for your program.
Report Findings: Share the results and recommendations.
Act on Results: Implement recommendations to optimize performance.
What Are Common Challenges in Program Evaluation?
Unclear Objectives: It’s hard to measure success without clear goals.
Limited Resources: Not having enough time, money, or staff can be a problem.
Data Collection Issues: Getting reliable data can be tricky.
Getting Everyone on Board: It’s important to have everyone’s support and involvement
How Can You Overcome These Challenges?
Set Clear Goals: Make sure your goals are specific and measurable.
Plan Resources: Ensure you have the time, budget, and staff needed. Plan to resource your evaluation from the very beginning.
Use Good Methods: Make sure your data collection methods are solid and ethical.
Involve Everyone: Keep everyone involved and informed throughout the process.
How Can Three Hive Help?
At Three Hive, we’re experts in program evaluation. We can help you understand your program’s impact and find ways to improve. We will work with your team to design the evaluation that works for you. This collaborative process results in an evaluation framework that your team can carry out on their own, or a full-service evaluation completed by our team. Learn more about what Three Hive can do for your business here.
You can learn a bit more about evaluation over at Eval Academy, where we offer courses and resources to help you build your evaluation skills. Learn more about evaluation over at Eval Academy.