Program Evaluation KnowledgeBase

Element 1: Plan the Evaluation

Purpose: Planning how to conduct a program evaluation is the essessential the first step. The preparatory thinking involves understanding the program being evaluated, organizing an evaluation team and determining how to conduct the evaluation. Element 1 outlines the pre-planning tasks.

Activity 1: Understand Evaluation

Task 1: Evaluation Concepts
Task 2: Understand Scientifically Based Research
Task 3: Types of Research Design
Task 4: Legal and Ethical Considerations

Activity 2: Organize Evaluation Team

Task 1: Identify Stakeholders
Task 2: Establish Evaluation Team
Task 3: Orient Evaluation Team
Task 4: Select Evaluator

Activity 3: Establish Evaluation Focus

Task 1: Describe the Program Being Evaluated
Task 2: Determine Evaluation Purpose
Task 3: Develop Evaluation Questions
Task 4: Identify Required Resources

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

Element 2: Implement the Evaluation

Purpose: Conducting the evaluation involves designing data collection so the analysis and interpretation will answer the questions the evaluation sets out to resolve. When developing and implementing the evaluation design, be flexible to collect and analyze data from many perspectives. The collected data should be attentive to the evaluation questions. Element 2 outlines the tasks associated with implementing the evaluation.

Activity 1: Data Collection

Task 1: Define Data Requirements
Task 2: Identify Data Collection Methods
Task 3: Collect Data

Activity 2: Understanding the Data

Task 1: Analyze the Data
Task 2: Interpret the Data

Activity 3: Report the Results

Task 1: Write the Report
Task 2: Review with Evaluation Team

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

Element 3: Use the Results

Purpose: The evaluation's findings and recommendation have limited value unless they are shared with the stakeholders and utilized to improve the evaluated program. Using the results to improve the evaluated program and communicating with constituencies are activities that occur in parallel. Element 3 outlines the tasks associated with using the results.

Activity 1: Communicate with Constituencies

Task 1: Identify Target Audiences
Task 2: Match Message Content with Audience
Task 3: Determine Communication Modes
Task 4: Share Findings

Activity 2: Use Results to Improve

Task 1: Implement Quality Assurance Process
Task 2: Use Data to Make Adjustments

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.