How can you use evaluation criteria to improve program performance?

1 Step 1: Define your evaluation purpose and questions

Before you can select or develop your evaluation criteria, you need to clarify why you are conducting the evaluation and what questions you want to answer. Your evaluation purpose and questions should align with your program goals, logic model, and theory of change. They should also reflect the needs and interests of your intended users, such as funders, partners, beneficiaries, or staff. Some examples of evaluation questions are: How relevant is your program to the needs and priorities of your target population? How efficient is your program in using its resources and delivering its activities? How effective is your program in achieving its short-term and long-term outcomes?

2 Step 2: Choose your evaluation criteria

Once you have defined your evaluation purpose and questions, you can choose your evaluation criteria based on the type, scope, and focus of your evaluation. There are different sources and frameworks that you can use to guide your selection of evaluation criteria, such as the OECD-DAC criteria, the SMART criteria, or the Kirkpatrick model. You can also customize or create your own evaluation criteria based on your program context and objectives. Some examples of evaluation criteria are: Relevance, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Impact, Sustainability, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Reaction, Learning, Behavior, Results.

3 Step 3: Develop your evaluation indicators and methods

After you have chosen your evaluation criteria, you need to develop your evaluation indicators and methods to measure and collect data on your program performance. Evaluation indicators are the quantitative or qualitative measures that show the extent to which your program meets your evaluation criteria. Evaluation methods are the tools and techniques that you use to gather and analyze data from your indicators. You should select or design your indicators and methods based on the availability, reliability, and validity of your data sources. You should also consider the feasibility, cost, and ethical implications of your data collection and analysis. Some examples of evaluation indicators are: Number of participants, Satisfaction rate, Outcome achievement rate, Cost-benefit ratio, Attrition rate, Retention rate. Some examples of evaluation methods are: Surveys, Interviews, Focus groups, Observation, Document review, Case studies.

4 Step 4: Use your evaluation findings and recommendations

The final step is to use your evaluation findings and recommendations to improve your program performance. You should communicate and disseminate your evaluation results to your intended users in a clear, concise, and actionable way. You should also facilitate and support the use of your evaluation findings and recommendations by providing feedback, guidance, and resources to your program staff and stakeholders. You should also monitor and document the changes and improvements that you make to your program based on your evaluation results. Some examples of using evaluation findings and recommendations are: Adjusting your program objectives, strategies, or activities, Strengthening your program capacity, skills, or systems, Scaling up or replicating your program model or best practices, Advocating for your program value or impact, Securing or diversifying your program funding or partnerships.

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?