How can program evaluation help you align with your organization's strategic objectives?

Program evaluation should continue throughout the program lifecycle. As the program is evaluated during the standard planning meetings, it should also be noted how the program aligns to overall portfolio goals and objectives. Based on the conclusions made during the program evaluations, different actions can be taken by the program team.

Program evaluation is an ongoing cycle—plan, implement, reflect. Define purpose, scope, and questions. Choose methods and indicators, and collect and analyse data. Communication and utilisation of findings are crucial. It can be formative, offering continuous improvement feedback, or summative, measuring program outcomes and impacts.

A lot one can learn by doing. As long as you try to figure it out by yourself consulting with your more experienced colleagues, the more programs you evaluate, the easier it gets. The advantage of doing that with your colleague within your organization is that you do it within the context and methods valid for your particular case. First times are always more time consuming, but they are the most insightful. Then it’s good to structure your experience with an educational program or a course, that give you broader horizons in terms of methods and approaches.

The evaluation provides data and insights into what's effective and what gaps exist in meeting those goals through the program. Leaders can use this information to refine programs. Regular reviews and updates to risk management strategies are essential to adapt to changing market conditions and emerging risks.

Program evaluation requires solid underpinning data by which to assess the program based on its stated objectives, but also a continual assessment against broader business strategy, external influences, risks and ultimately success criteria. It serves to ensure that the outcomes are aligned and on track, and needs to be a continual activity to ensure that all internal and external influences are continually assessed and that the program remains aligned for success.

Program evaluation can assist in aligning with an organization's strategic objectives by providing a systematic way to measure a program's performance against those objectives. By analyzing the effectiveness of programs, organizations can make informed decisions about resource allocation, learn from successes and failures, and ensure that their efforts are contributing to the broader strategic direction. This process promotes accountability, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making, ultimately helping organizations to better achieve their strategic goals.

Program evaluation is vital for strategic alignment, monitoring progress, and addressing gaps or risks. Learn from successes and failures, adapt accordingly. Demonstrate accountability, build credibility with stakeholders and funders. Communicate the program's value and impact effectively to your audience and beneficiaries. It's a key tool for ensuring organizational objectives and mission alignment.

Evaluations allow an organization to benchmark across programs organization-wide to see which are most impactful and aligned to strategic needs. Lower performing programs can be redesigned or reallocated using these benchmarks.

Continual assessment allows for critical internal and external influences to be monitored for changes that may impact the program and its success criteria. Identification of changes, including risks, opportunities, challenges and any other factors that may affect the program are considered and aligned. This allows consideration of relevancy of the programs OKR/KPI's, and ensuring alignment with broader business or market considerations if/when required, and/or to identify where programs are not meeting the necessary outcomes and interventions are required.

Program evaluation plays a crucial role in aligning your program with your organization's strategic objectives. It allows you to track progress, identify challenges, and adapt strategies to meet goals. By learning from both successes and failures, you demonstrate accountability, enhance credibility with stakeholders, and communicate the value and impact of your program to a wider audience and beneficiaries. Program evaluation serves as a practical tool for continual improvement and strategic alignment within the organizational framework.

Plan a program evaluation systematically, aligning with the program design and logic model. The logic model, a visual representation of the program, aids in clarifying the theory of change, assumptions, and evaluation purpose. Define scope, select methods and indicators, plan data collection and analysis, and design a comprehensive evaluation report and dissemination strategy.

Conducting a program evaluation requires choosing suitable methods. Use surveys for quantitative data, interviews or focus groups for qualitative insights. Consider mixed methods for a comprehensive approach, enhancing both validity and richness of data. Adapt the methodology to align with your program and evaluation objectives.

By creating visual interface of a logic model, the program's inputs, activities, outputs & goals can be outlined as well as the representation can guide the potential evaluation process. Also, common evaluation designs include experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental designs can be selected based on the program's characteristics & the evaluation questions. Another aspect could be defining the criteria & indicators that will be used to assess the program. These could include measures of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, sustainability & impact. By using appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis techniques findings can be interpreted from the collected data too in the context of the evaluation questions & criteria.

To assess the program effectively, it is necessary to undertake a survey and research to determine if the tools align with the program's tasks, goals, and intended features. Multiple tests, trials, and brainstorming sessions are essential to gauge the program's functionality and its ability to meet program requirements.

It is important when evaluating a program to defining clear objectives, and framing the right questions that are to be answered as part of the evaluation. These should be balanced and avoid focussing on only one facet of a program. Once the outcome and questions are set, appropriate data sources are required to be able to answer those questions. The evaluation should remain flexible and capable of adjusting based on information that is found during the process, that is, as more information is secured, there may be new questions to be answered or additional insights required as part of the evaluation.

In my experience, Program evaluation is vital for aligning with an organization's strategic goals. It ensures programs effectively contribute to these objectives by optimizing resources, supporting decision-making, and fostering continuous improvement. Through evidence of impact, it satisfies stakeholder expectations, both internal and external. Additionally, it aids in identifying and managing risks, making it a key strategic tool for organizations aiming to align, optimize, and improve their programs in line with broader goals.

Developing and executing your plan to communicate the outcomes of your program evaluation and the resultant actions is the most essential part of the whole process. Your first step must be to determine the result(s) you want from the review (e.g., adjust your current strategy) and to whom you communicate what actions you will take (e.g., tell your management why you’re expanding into new markets). Knowing where you want to go and why drives everything: the data you’ll collect; who is performing the review; which communication channels you’ll use; and most importantly, what content you will push to each audience. If your strategic communications partners are with you from start to finish, you’ll maximize your probability of success.

Program evaluation aligns with your organization's strategic objectives by: 1. Measuring Success: Assesses program outcomes against strategic goals. 2. Resource Optimization: Ensures resources align with strategic priorities. 3. Informed Decisions: Provides data-driven insights for strategic adjustments. 4. Identifying Improvements: Highlights areas to align better with objectives. 5. Demonstrating Accountability: Shows commitment to achieving strategic goals. Program evaluation ensures operational activities are effectively contributing to long-term strategic aims.