Evaluation Criteria

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What is evaluation? What are the steps involved? What are step1 and step2? What are absolute or relative merit?

Review

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To build a criterion list, consider the following procedures: A needs assessment Logic model of linking the evaluand to

the needs An assesment of other relevant values,

such as process, outcomes, and cost A strategy to organize your criterion

checklist

Step3: Defining evaluative criteria

Make sure that you go into the evaluation with a well-thought-out plan so that you know what you need to know, where to get that information, and how you are going to put it together when you write up your report.

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Needs that we identify become the outcome criteria we use for the evaluation

The data collected during the needs assessment phase can be used as baseline data for comparison if we wish to track change in certain outcome variables.

Needs assessment

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Understand the true needs of your evaluation end users (consumers or impactees)

Who are your end users? They are the person or entity who buys or uses a

product or service, enroll in a training program,etc. Upstream stakeholder (i.e. People on upper level of the

structure – manager, designer) Immediate recipients (i.e. People who directly consume your

product or service – consumer, trainee) Downstream consumers (i.e. People who indirectly involved in

your evaluation)

Needs assessment

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Rules to follow during the evaluation Systematic (step-by-step, thorough) Objective (free from bias) Transparent (easy to repeat and follow)

Needs assessment

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Needs vs. Wants Difference and why A need is something without which unsatisfactory functioning

occurs. Different kind of needs

Context dependence Conscious needs vs. Unconsious needs

Needs we know and needs we do not know Met needs vs. Unmet needs

Building a factory (increase job, but create pollution) Performance needs vs. Instrumental needs

„need to do“ something for satisfactory functioning (actual problems) vs. Proposed solutions

Access email vs. Lightweight laptop Most of the case, performance needs is considered, but not the

instrumental needs

Understanding needs

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Two phases: Identifying and documenting

performance needs Investigating the underlying causes of

performance needs

Needs assessment method

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Steps Examples

Document the extent of the presenting need by gathering evidence

- Ask police for teen drug arrests

Find out more about individuals - Is the drug use more prevalent among boys or girls

Look for unnoticed performance needs - e.g. By combining of open-ended inquiry

-Have there also been problems with violence, or other crimes- asking parents, teachers or community members

Come out the clear picture of the needs

- Lay out the evidence

Identifying performance needs

Identify the performance needs for an increase in drug abuse by teenagers

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Using logic model

Investigating the cause of the needs

Training program

Improved skillsImproved

performance

If we implement thisWe will address this underlying need

Which should solve our performance problem

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If we implement this

We will address this underlying need

Which should solve our performance problem if that was the true underlying need

Training program Unskilled employee

Education and communication

Improved performance

Performance incentives

Unmotivated staff

Job enrichment Unchallenged job

Provision of resources Lack of resources

Flexible scheduling Home and work conflict

Organizational climate intervention

Bad working enviornment

Exercise

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Asking potential participants about their needs is just the tip of the iceberg

Many important information has to be gathered in some other way Working with experienced upstream impactees

Working with project officer for grant writing training program

Identifying correct cause by asking open-end inquiry to downstream and upstream impactees

Poor involvement of grant writing Lack of motivation – increase incentive Lack of confidence – build up self confidence

More to do

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Think about other criteria based on Process evaluation Outcome evaluation Comparative cost-effectiveness Exportability Like: legal, ethical, authenticity, scentific, economic,

historical requirements, etc. Being diagnostic Collecting facts

Other relevant criteria

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Needs assessment Identify consumers or impactees (e.g. Table3.2) Identify different needs (e.g. Table3.3)

Logic model (e.g. Exhibit3.6 and Exhibit3.7) An assessment of other relavent values

with the consideration of process, outcome and cost (e.g. Table3.4)

Organizing your criteria see step4 output report

Step3: output report

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Rolling design unanticipated criteria may add to the list Existing criteria may be modified

Never draw a conclusion based on a single piece of evidence

Try to view the same issue from different angles through: Different types of data (both qualitative and quantitative) Multiple sources of information (e.g., existing document,

observations, input from more than one group of stakeholders)

Step4: Organizing criteria and indentifying sources of evidence

Triangulation: using different ways or data to verify the conclusionStep-by-Step: start the small scope of data collecting, extend it slowly later on.

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When organizing your criteria, always keep the followings in mind:

Process How good are the evaluand‘s content and implementation

Outcomes How good are the impacts on immediate recipients and

other impactees Comparative Cost-Effectives

How costly is it? Excessive, quite high, acceptable or reasonable

Exportability How can we extend this to other settings?

Checkpoints

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Process evaluation Content

What the evaluand consists of, i.e., basic components or design)

Implementation How well or efficiently the evaluand was

implemented or delivered to the consumers who needed it

Other features Any other features that make the program good

or bad which are not covered by the first two and are not outcomes or cost-related criteria

The process evaluation checkpoint

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Now feed into these three categories with all the process-relevant ingredients we generated from: the needs assessment and other relevant

needs (e.g. Table3.3, Table 3.4, Exhibit3.6) Add additional consideration if necessary

The process evaluation checkpoint

category Subcategories and criteria

Source of evdience

Content evaluation

Implementation evlauation

Others (if necessary)

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What is outcome Things that happen as a result of the program Outcomes can affect anyone listed as consumers

How to do Based on logic model in step3 (e.g. Exhibit3.6 and

Exhibit3.7) Organize them into subcategories See Table4.3 (D-p60)

The outcome evaluation checkpoint

category Subcategories and criteria

Source of evdience

Knowledge, skill and attitude gain

Application of knowledge, skill and attitudes

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Any evaluation has to take cost into account

What are costs? Money Time Effort Space Opportunity costs

The comparative cost-effectiveness checkpoint

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Type of costs Money, resources, time, opportunities

Costs When Preparation, implementation,

maintenance, evaluation Costs to whom

Participants, community organizations, workshop provider, others

D-p61

Cost cube (Scriven, 1991)

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Preparation

Implementation

Maintenance

Evaluation

Money

Resources

Time

Opportunity

Costs to Whom

Comparison with competitors

Cost cube table

• Find out the most important costs for your evaluation• Compare your cost with other competitors

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What elements of the evaluand (i.e., innovative design or approach) might make it potentially valuable or a significant contribution or advance in another setting Think about examples

The exportability checkpoint

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Checkpoints for Process Outcomes (e.g., Table4.3) Comparative Cost-Effectives (e.g., cost

cube table) Exportability

Short summary of potential areas for exportability

Step4: Output report

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