How do you modify your evaluation plan to changing contexts?

1 Assess the situation

The first step is to assess the situation and how it affects your program and your evaluation. You need to identify the risks and opportunities that the change brings, and how they impact your program goals, objectives, indicators, data sources, methods, and timeline. You also need to consult with your stakeholders, such as your funders, partners, beneficiaries, and staff, to understand their perspectives, needs, and expectations. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, risk matrix, or stakeholder analysis to help you with this step.

2 Adjust your evaluation questions

The next step is to adjust your evaluation questions to reflect the new context and the information needs of your stakeholders. You may need to revise, add, or remove some evaluation questions, depending on how the change affects your program logic and theory of change. You may also need to prioritize some questions over others, based on their relevance, feasibility, and usefulness. You should make sure that your evaluation questions are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

3 Adapt your data collection methods

The third step is to adapt your data collection methods to suit the new context and the data availability. You may need to change some of your data collection methods, such as switching from face-to-face interviews to phone or online surveys, or using secondary data instead of primary data. You may also need to modify some of your data collection tools, such as simplifying your questionnaires, using different languages, or adding consent forms. You should consider the ethical, practical, and technical implications of changing your data collection methods, and ensure that they are reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate.

5 Monitor and review your evaluation plan

The final step is to monitor and review your evaluation plan regularly, and make further adjustments as needed. You should track the implementation and outcomes of your evaluation plan, and identify any challenges, gaps, or lessons learned. You should also review your evaluation plan with your stakeholders, and evaluate its effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. You should document and share your evaluation findings, recommendations, and best practices, and use them to inform your program improvement and learning.

6 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?