How do you create an evaluation plan for community organizing?

1 Define your purpose

The first step is to define the purpose of your evaluation plan. Why do you want to evaluate your community organizing work? What questions do you want to answer? Who are the intended users and audiences of the evaluation? How will you use the findings to improve your practice or inform your decisions? Your purpose should be clear, specific, and aligned with your organizing strategy and values.

2 Choose your approach

The second step is to choose an approach that suits your purpose, context, and resources. There are different types of evaluation, such as formative, summative, developmental, or participatory. Each one has its own strengths, limitations, and assumptions. For example, formative evaluation focuses on improving your work during the process, while summative evaluation assesses the outcomes and impact of your work after the process. Developmental evaluation supports innovation and adaptation in complex and dynamic situations, while participatory evaluation involves the stakeholders and beneficiaries of your work in the evaluation design and implementation. You should choose an approach that matches your needs, goals, and capacities.

3 Develop your framework

The third step is to develop a framework that guides your evaluation plan. A framework is a visual or written representation of the logic and assumptions behind your community organizing work. It shows how your inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact are connected and influenced by the context and external factors. A framework can help you clarify your theory of change, identify your indicators and targets, and plan your data collection and analysis methods. There are different tools and models that can help you create a framework, such as logic models, outcome maps, or theory of action.

4 Select your methods

The fourth step is to select the methods that you will use to collect and analyze the data for your evaluation. Your methods should be appropriate, credible, and feasible for your purpose, approach, and framework. You should also consider the ethical and cultural implications of your methods, and how they affect the participation and empowerment of your community. There are different methods that you can use, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, document reviews, or case studies. You should use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to capture the richness and diversity of your community organizing work.

5 Implement your plan

The fifth step is to implement your evaluation plan according to your purpose, approach, framework, and methods. This involves collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting the data for your evaluation. You should follow the principles and standards of good evaluation practice, such as relevance, validity, reliability, accuracy, transparency, and accountability. You should also involve your community and stakeholders in the implementation of your evaluation plan, and ensure that they have access to and ownership of the data and findings.

6 Communicate your results

The sixth and final step is to communicate your evaluation results to your intended users and audiences. This involves presenting and reporting the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of your evaluation in a clear, concise, and accessible way. You should use different formats and channels to communicate your results, such as reports, briefs, stories, infographics, videos, or podcasts. You should also consider the feedback and implications of your results, and how they can inform your future actions and learning. You should celebrate your successes, acknowledge your challenges, and share your lessons with your community and stakeholders.

7 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?