Evaluation
Evaluating your programs helps you understand what works, where to grow, and how to make municipal recreation more inclusive for persons with disabilities. A solid evaluation makes decisions more transparent, ensures accountability, and leads to better, evidence-based programming.
These strategies were shaped using a research method that lets organizations adopt existing guidelines exactly as they are, adapt them by making some changes, or develop new recommendations from scratch. All the advice below was adapted and based on the Disability and Physical Activity Program Evaluation Toolkit, which uses the RE-AIM framework to look at how programs reach people, how effective they are, and whether they are sustainable over time. A consensus panel decided which parts to include based on their professional knowledge, lived experience, and academic expertise. They also helped revise the drafts, making sure that all changes were based on both evidence and the panel’s real-life experiences.
Quick Start Overview
Getting started with evaluation can feel complex. Before you start, ask yourself:
- Why are we doing this evaluation? What do we hope to learn?
- Do we have enough time, skills, and staff to do it well?
- Who will use the results, and how?
- How can we protect participants’ privacy and minimize harm?
If you’re ready, take a look at the strategies below. For more step-by-step help as you go, check out the Disability and Physical Activity Program Evaluation Toolkit, which offers extra guidance and tools. Most importantly, take what you need from the strategies below and the Toolkit and leave what doesn’t fit now.
If you are not ready, try something simple—like one short evaluation activity at the end of a program. Invite participants and families to share what worked, what didn’t, and what could improve next time.
The strategies below are designed to make the process easier, but remember to use only what you need, and don’t worry if you don’t use everything right away. You can always come back for more, as you need it.
Executive Summary
The strategies outlined below are designed to support municipal recreation staff, health care practitioners, coaches, and administrators in developing respectful, ethical, and effective evaluations with which to improve their ability to support persons with disabilities. The tips provided in this Guide encompass the evaluation process from development to application, and are divided into the following four groups:
Know Your Why
This section offers tips to help you understand the purpose of the evaluation.
Make Sure You Are Ready
Here, you will find tips on ensuring that you and your staff have the capacity to create and conduct an ethical evaluation.
Build the Right Evaluation Plan
This section offers strategies on how to actually create an evaluation and the types of indicators that you may want to consider evaluating.
Manage Your Data Wisely
Here is where you will find strategies to appropriately organize, interpret, and protect the data you are collecting.
