Planning for Meaningful Evaluation
Getting in the Driver’s Seat with Regards to Evaluation
Evaluation has many uses. Whether evaluating the needs of a group before designing a project, evaluating mid-project to assess progress and find areas for improvement, or evaluating at the end to measure success, evaluation provides critical data and direction that can greatly improve any effort.
Directly linked to the Planning for Meaningful Evaluation training course offered by the NOAA Coastal Services Center, this document briefly describes a process for planning for an evaluation of a project of program:
- Step 1: Determine the evaluation questions
- Step 2: Define the project context
- Step 3: Refine the project plans
- Step 4: Identify other influences
- Step 5: Create effective performance measures
- Step 6: Design data collection and analysis
- Step 7: Communicate results
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Additional Assistance and Information
Technical Assistance
The NOAA Coastal Services Center offers assistance on evaluation. Services include assistance on choosing evaluation methods, designing data collection instruments, and analyzing and reporting data. Contact csc.info@noaa.gov for more information.