You’re evaluating your Peer Support interventions. How do you know if they’re working?

1 Define your goals

Before you start evaluating your Peer Support interventions, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the main objectives and outcomes of your Peer Support interventions? How do they align with your peers' needs and preferences? How do they fit with the values and principles of Peer Support? You can use a logic model, a theory of change, or a SMART framework to help you define your goals and indicators. These tools can help you map out the inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts of your Peer Support interventions, as well as the assumptions and risks involved.

2 Choose your methods

Once you have defined your goals, you need to decide how you will collect and analyze data to evaluate your Peer Support interventions. There are different methods and tools you can use, depending on your purpose, resources, and context. For example, you can use quantitative methods, such as surveys, questionnaires, or scales, to measure changes in your peers' satisfaction, well-being, recovery, or empowerment. You can also use qualitative methods, such as interviews, focus groups, or stories, to capture your peers' experiences, perspectives, and feedback. You can also use mixed methods, which combine both quantitative and qualitative data, to get a more comprehensive and nuanced picture of your Peer Support interventions.

4 Share your results

After you have collected and analyzed data, you need to share your results with your peers and other stakeholders. Sharing your results can help you communicate the value and impact of your Peer Support interventions, as well as identify areas for improvement and learning. You can share your results in different formats and channels, such as reports, presentations, newsletters, or social media. You can also use creative and interactive ways to share your results, such as stories, videos, or infographics. When you share your results, you should be clear, honest, and respectful. You should also acknowledge the limitations and challenges of your evaluation, as well as the contributions and feedback of your peers and other stakeholders.

5 Act on your results

The final step of evaluating your Peer Support interventions is to act on your results. Acting on your results means using the information and insights you gained from your evaluation to improve your Peer Support interventions and practice. You can use your results to celebrate your achievements, identify your strengths and weaknesses, address your gaps and challenges, or plan your next steps. You can also use your results to advocate for more resources, recognition, or support for your Peer Support interventions and peers. Acting on your results can help you demonstrate your accountability, commitment, and professionalism as a Peer Supporter. It can also help you enhance your quality and effectiveness as a Peer Supporter.

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?