Evaluating your project
Practicalities
When do I need to consider evaluation?
Ideally, an evaluation framework should be built into the initiative or strategy from the outset. The framework should be agreed by all stakeholders. There are several advantages to a collaborative evaluation process being initiated at the start of a project:
- it allows for 'baseline' data to be collected, so that the success of an initiative can be assessed against a starting point;
- it ensures the evaluation is well planned, so that opportunities for data collection are not missed;
- it ensures that data can be fed back into the initiative to help shape its development.
Who should do the evaluation?
This may depend on the availability of resources. An evaluation can be relatively small scale, conducted by stakeholders themselves, using simple measures and data collection methods. Alternatively, evaluation can be large scale, conducted by external contractors with appropriate skills.
The choice of evaluator may be influenced by the size of the initiative or programme and the importance placed on its successful delivery.
If a stakeholders undertake the evaluation, it is important that they should have:
- the appropriate skills; and
- access to necessary tools and resources.
If an external evaluation is commissioned, managers should ensure that an appropriate proportion of the project or programme budget is reserved to cover this cost.
Some people advocate the involvement of communities themselves in the evaluation of engagement activity. It is argued that community involvement in planning and monitoring an engagement initiative can provide a sense of community 'ownership', making the initiative more likely to succeed. Community involvement in evaluation can also build capacity and serve as an additional resource for the project.
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