The Six-Step Evaluation Process

There may be many ways to tackle your evaluation project, but we like to think of it in terms of six basic steps.

1. Needs Assessment
2. Proposal
3. Data Collection
4. Data Analysis
5. Recommendations and Reporting
6. Follow-up

If you choose to hire an external evaluator, that person will conduct an initial consultation with you to determine the evaluand, need, questions, criteria, and standards. The evaluator may need to subsequently speak with several individuals in order to gain a clear picture of the evaluand and associated context. If you opt for an internal evaluation, one or more of your staff members would complete this and subsequent steps.

The evaluator will then review with you a proposal and timeline for obtaining the necessary information about the evaluand. The evaluator will provide status reports, and may ask your staff to assist in the data collection process.

Depending on the evaluand and associated information, data collection methods may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Data mining
• Document review
• Survey
• Individual interview
• Focus group
• Ethnography
• Observation
• Testing

Depending on the data collection method, analyzing the data may include quantitative (e.g., statistical analysis), qualitative (e.g., thematic analysis), or mixed methods (i.e., a mixture of quantitative and qualitative information).

Once data is collected and analyzed, the evaluator will prepare a report of findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The evaluator will discuss this information in detail prior to any formal reporting or presentation of the information to ensure there are no surprises.

The evaluator will check in with you immediately after and from time to time following the evaluation to see if further assistance is necessary.