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Evaluation

How-to Strategies

Know Your Why

Think about who will use the information from this evaluation — such as funders or municipal staff. Ask yourself:

  • Is this program worth keeping?
  • Are participants getting the benefits you expected?
  • Do funders and leaders know why your program matters?
  • Do staff know where to focus their work?
  • Are there themes across programs that can show what works best?

Make Sure You Are Ready

Before you start, check:

  • Does the person doing the evaluation have time and the right skills?
  • Can your organization use the findings to make changes?
  • Do you have a clear goal for the evaluation and have you shared it?
  • Have you told everyone how you’ll use what you learn?
  • If pressed for time, can you use existing data to help?
  • Always keep privacy and respect for participants in mind.

Build the Right Evaluation Plan

  • Decide what you want to achieve and who you’re focusing on (participants, parents, or staff).
  • Pick the best way to get feedback, such as surveys before and after the program, and watching and taking notes during activities.
  • Only measure what matters most—don’t try to track everything.
  • Have a plan for how you’ll use every piece of information you collect.
  • Create and offer accessible and inclusive evaluation methods and formats such as clear documents, large print, or audio/video formats. for participants with different types of disabilities.
    • Ask persons with disabilities their communication preferences in preparation of the evaluation.

Looking for more ideas? Check out the Government of Canada’s evaluation methods guide or the evaluation toolkit.

Manage Your Data Wisely

  • Keep data safe and share it only with staff who need it.
  • Make the results easy for everyone to understand and use.
  • Think about participants’ socio-economic and cultural backgrounds when interpreting the data.
  • If you’re new, start small with a few simple things to measure.
  • For advanced analysis, ask someone with experience and expertise to help.
  • Use tools such as Google Forms, Survey Monkey, Excel, SAS, R, OneDrive, or paid survey platforms like RedCap or Qualtrics to organize your data.

Other Resources on Evaluation

  • Community Tool Box from the Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas
  • OCAP: First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession regarding data collection and use
  • EvaluATE: Evaluation resource hub
  • SIRC: Mastering the art of evaluation
  • EVAL Academy: Supporting the evaluation process

Remember to use the evaluation toolkit! Keep in mind that you can always take what you need from the toolkit and leave what you cannot use. You can always return for more information.