What are the most effective ways to evaluate a program with multiple locations?

1 Define your evaluation purpose and questions

Before you start collecting and analyzing data, you need to clarify why you are conducting the evaluation and what you want to find out. Your evaluation purpose and questions should align with your program goals, objectives, and indicators, as well as the needs and expectations of your funders, partners, and beneficiaries. You should also consider how you will use the evaluation findings to inform your decision-making, learning, and accountability.

2 Choose your evaluation methods and tools

Depending on your evaluation purpose and questions, you will need to select the most appropriate methods and tools to collect and analyze data from multiple locations. You should use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to capture the complexity and diversity of your program. You should also use methods and tools that are culturally sensitive, participatory, and ethical, and that can ensure the validity and reliability of your data. Some examples of methods and tools are surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, case studies, and logic models.

4 Compare and synthesize your data across locations

Once you have collected and analyzed data from multiple locations, you need to compare and synthesize them to draw conclusions and recommendations for your program. You should look for similarities and differences, patterns and outliers, strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities and challenges across locations. You should also consider the contextual factors, such as political, social, economic, and environmental issues, that may affect your program performance and outcomes in different locations.

5 Report and share your evaluation findings

The final step of evaluating a program with multiple locations is to report and share your evaluation findings with your evaluation team, stakeholders, and wider audience. You should use clear, concise, and compelling language and visuals to present your evaluation purpose, questions, methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations. You should also tailor your report and presentation to the needs and preferences of your different audiences, and use different formats and channels, such as written reports, online dashboards, webinars, or workshops.

6 Learn and improve your program

The ultimate goal of evaluating a program with multiple locations is to learn from your evaluation findings and use them to improve your program design and implementation. You should reflect on what worked well and what did not work well in your program across locations, and identify the best practices and lessons learned. You should also develop and implement an action plan to address the gaps and challenges, and to scale up or replicate the successful strategies and interventions in your program.