Chapter 7. Part 2. Evaluation Phases and Processes

What to know

The program evaluation process goes through four phases — planning, implementation, completion, and dissemination and reporting. These complement the phases of program development and implementation. Each phase has unique issues, methods, and procedures.

Community engagement header

Section Overview

  1. Is the program clear in its objectives and transparent in its methods?
  2. What criteria were used to determine the need for the program?
  3. Does the program draw on best practices and successful partnerships?
  4. Is the program gathering information to ensure it works in the current community context?

Defining and identifying stakeholders is a significant component of the planning stage. Stakeholders are people or organizations that have an interest in or could be affected by the program evaluation. They are people who are involved in program operations, people affected by the program, or the primary users of the evaluation.

  1. Stakeholders include community residents, businesses, organizations, policymakers, educators, researchers, media, etc.
  2. Stakeholders provide input on evaluation questions, methodology, data sources, interpretation of findings, and recommendations.

Tips From the Literature‎

The inclusion of stakeholders in an evaluation not only helps build support for the evaluation but also increases its credibility, provides a participatory approach, and supplies the multiple perspectives of participants and partners (Rossi et al., 2004).

  1. Establish two-way ongoing communication with stakeholders.
  2. Create a community advisory board for input and oversight.
  3. Embrace cultural diversity to improve evaluation.

  1. Assess recruitment and retention of participants.
  2. Evaluate training materials, timelines, coordination with other programs.
  3. Inform mid-course corrections or understand implementation processes.

  1. Examine immediate outcomes or long-term impact of the program.
  2. Determine if changes can be attributed to the program.
  3. Evaluate contributions of partnerships to outcomes.

Dissemination and Reporting

  1. Develop a dissemination plan during planning stage.
  2. Allocate resources for presenting results to appropriate audiences.
  3. Ensure full disclosure and balanced assessment in reporting.
  4. Use dissemination as an opportunity to build capacity among stakeholders.

References

Anderson RM, Funnell MM, Aikens JE, Krein SL, Fitzgerald JT, Nwankwo R, et al. Evaluating the efficacy of an empowerment-based self-management consultant intervention: results of a two-year randomized controlled trial. Therapeutic Patient Education 2009;1(1):3-11

Burke B. Evaluating for a change: reflections on participatory methodology. New Directions for Evaluation 1998;(80):43-56.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Framework for program evaluation in public health. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1999;48(RR11):1-40.

Garbarino S, Holland J. Quantitative and qualitative methods in impact evaluation and measuring results. Social Development Direct; 2009. Retrieved from http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/EIRS4.pdf

Rossi P, Lipsey M, Freeman H. Evaluation: a systemic approach (7th ed.) Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage; 2004.

Mullan PB. Working to reduce maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa: international fellowship program for Ghanaian physicians. Medical Education at Michigan 2009;5(2):16. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/meded/pdf/Newsletters/12-2009.pdf

Wandersman A, Snell-Johns J, Lentz B, Fetterman D, Keener D, Livet M, et al. The principles of empowerment evaluation. Empowerment Evaluation Principles in Practice 2005;27-41

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