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I need to develop an evaluation plan for
my program. What are the essential elements I should consider?
Ideally, you should have evaluators prepare a written plan for the evaluation
before you hire them. To get a good plan, you should provide the evaluator
with clear, preferably written, information about the goals and objectives
of the program, how the program operates, the clients you serve or will
serve, and so on. The following are the main issues that an evaluation
plan should cover. Most of them are self-explanatory.
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The evaluation questions that the study will answer. The design of
the evaluation (e.g., whether control groups will be used)
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The major independent and dependent variables and how they will be
measured. (A dependent variable is what you expect will change the
outcome. It is a result of the program, such as drug use. An independent
variable is a factor that may influence the dependent variable, such
as gender, age, or being exposed versus not being exposed to the program.)
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The types of data to be collected and how they will be collected.
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The sampling plan. This includes who will be sampled, how the sample
will be drawn, to what extent it will represent some larger group,
and the reasons the evaluator is proposing a certain size sample-why
administer questionnaires to 200 students versus 300 or 400, or to
all the students?
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Data analysis. The plan should specify what statistical or other
procedures the evaluator will use to analyze the data.
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Protection of human subjects (e.g., informed consent, confidentiality)
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Reporting (e.g., when will reports be made, what will they contain,
will they be written and oral?) It is often useful to request interim
reports that can be used as needed to make adjustments in the program
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Staffing for the study
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Timetable for major evaluation activities and due dates for all deliverables
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Budget for the evaluation
Usually the evaluator won't be able to specify all the details of the
study in advance. For example, he or she may not know exactly what questionnaires
will be used to collect data. But the evaluator should clearly identify
these areas of uncertainty, indicate how they will be resolved, and give
you some tentative ideas.
This FAQ is derived from the Northeast CAPT's training manual Locating,
Hiring, and Managing an Evaluator by Wayne Harding. (Click
here for a description of the course)
Please contact the Northeast CAPT at capt@edc.org
for more information.
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