How can you assess your non-profit evaluation and impact measurement skills?

1 The Evaluation Capacity Diagnostic Tool

The Evaluation Capacity Diagnostic Tool (ECDT) is a tool developed by the Innovation Network, a non-profit consulting firm that specializes in evaluation and learning. The ECDT is a self-assessment tool that helps non-profit leaders measure their evaluation capacity, which is the ability to conduct and use evaluation for learning and improvement. The ECDT consists of 40 questions that cover four dimensions of evaluation capacity: organizational readiness, human capacity, technical practices, and evaluation culture. By answering these questions, you can get a score for each dimension and a total score that reflects your overall evaluation capacity.

2 How to use the ECDT

To use the ECDT, you need to download the tool from the Innovation Network website and follow the instructions. You can either complete the tool individually or with a team of staff or stakeholders. The tool takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete and requires you to rate your agreement with various statements on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). For example, one statement is "Our organization has a clear vision and mission that guide our evaluation efforts". After completing the tool, you can calculate your scores for each dimension and the total score using the formulas provided in the tool. You can also compare your scores with the average scores of other non-profits that have used the tool.

3 How to interpret your results

The ECDT provides you with a snapshot of your current evaluation capacity and highlights your strengths and weaknesses in each dimension, with scores ranging from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate higher evaluation capacity. According to the Innovation Network, the average score for non-profits that have used the tool is 67. However, it is important to focus on the insights and implications that these numbers reveal rather than the numbers themselves. For example, you can use your results to identify gaps and challenges in your evaluation capacity and prioritize areas for improvement, celebrate and leverage your existing evaluation capacity, communicate and collaborate with staff, board, funders, and partners about evaluation goals, needs, and expectations, and develop an action plan to enhance your evaluation capacity and align it with your organizational strategy and mission.

4 How to improve your skills

The ECDT is not a one-time exercise, but an ongoing process of learning and improvement. You can use the tool periodically to monitor your progress and evaluate the impact of your actions, as well as access resources and support from the Innovation Network and other organizations. Joining the Evaluation Capacity Building Community of Practice, participating in webinars, workshops, and courses on evaluation topics and methods, seeking feedback from external evaluators or mentors, and incorporating evaluation into your daily work and organizational culture are all ways to increase your evaluation and impact measurement skills. Doing so will help you build confidence, credibility, and effectiveness as a non-profit leader, allowing you to make a positive difference in your community and beyond.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?