How can you evaluate the success of a session as a new facilitator?

1 Define your criteria

Before you start your session, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and how you will know if you did. This means setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives for your session and defining indicators to track your progress. For example, if your goal is to increase the knowledge of your participants on a certain topic, you might use a pre- and post-test to measure the change in their scores. Or, if your goal is to generate ideas for a project, you might use the number and quality of the ideas as indicators.

3 Analyze the data

Once you have collected the feedback, you need to analyze it to draw conclusions and recommendations. You can use different methods and tools to do this, depending on the type and amount of data you have. For example, you can use quantitative methods, such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, or charts and graphs, to summarize and compare numerical data. Or, you can use qualitative methods, such as thematic analysis, content analysis, or coding, to identify and interpret patterns and themes in textual or visual data.

4 Reflect on your practice

Reflecting on your practice as a facilitator is an important part of evaluating your session. Review your notes, recordings, or materials from the session and ask yourself some questions such as what went well and why, what didn't go well and why, what you learned from the session, what you would do differently next time, and what you need to improve or develop as a facilitator. Additionally, seek feedback from other facilitators, mentors, or coaches who observed or co-facilitated your session. Ask for their opinions and suggestions to gain further insight into your practice.

5 Implement changes

The final step in evaluating your session is to implement the changes that you identified from your analysis and reflection. This means taking action to improve your facilitation skills, methods, or tools based on the feedback and recommendations that you received. You can do this by setting new goals, creating an action plan, seeking support or resources, or practicing your skills in different contexts. You can also monitor and evaluate the impact of your changes on your future sessions and continue the cycle of learning and improvement.

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?