I've evaluated my program.... Now what?

Evaluator's Corner

I've evaluated my program.... Now what?

By Julia Kohn, Evaluation Manager

Once you've conducted an evaluation of your program, spent hours defining your goals and objectives, fine-tuned your evaluation tools, and collected and analyzed the data, what purpose will this information serve? The evaluation process takes a lot of effort and resources, yet many organizations never use their evaluation results. It's a good idea to think about how you might use your results before you conduct an evaluation. The ultimate audience for your findings might affect what type of evaluation you choose to conduct.

For example, if you were interested in demonstrating the effectiveness of your program to a funder, you would likely choose to conduct an outcome evaluation. However, if you were interested in figuring out which of two programs gives the most "bang for the buck," you would want to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis; these findings might be used solely for internal purposes. Regardless of the function that the evaluation serves, it is imperative to think about how you can use the results to benefit your program, and your agency as a whole.

Why don't organizations use their evaluation results?

Organizations may not use their evaluation results for a variety of reasons. Primarily, change may require money, a resource that is often in short supply. Additionally, effort and time must be devoted to the management of these adjustments. Making programmatic changes in light of evaluation results may also require changing the practices of staff who are satisfied with the present situation, who firmly believe in the work they are doing, and do not recognize the need for change. While negative evaluation findings may be unpleasant, they do not indicate failure. Instead, these findings point to areas where a program could be improved and/or where and how limited resources might be better spent. This can be difficult to communicate to staff that may be resistant to change or for whom negative results might be difficult to hear.

Furthermore, organizations have concerns beyond simply achieving their program goals and objectives. Very often managers must be interested in survival above all. Program managers are expected to protect their programs and their organizations. They must continue to generate support while maintaining their position in the political and organizational environment, in addition to satisfying their constituencies. While an evaluator may assume that an organization's principal goal is to achieve the objectives a program was designed to meet, in reality this may not be the case. A program manager's priority is generally to keep the program going. Survival concerns are real and necessary, and management may feel that too much change might lead to organizational instability. Furthermore, there is the possibility that programmatic changes will conflict with the expectations of program stakeholders.

Ways to Use Your Evaluation Results

A program is successful if it meets the goals and objectives you have set. Whether your evaluation results suggest that your program is successful or not, there are many ways you can use your results with various audiences.

Funders:

Many funders now require that you evaluate your programs. Positive evaluation results can encourage them to continue funding the program. Findings can also be used in future proposals to garner additional resources. Less encouraging results can be useful as well. For example, they can provide you with an argument for why more funding and more intensive programs are necessary.

Community:

Positive evaluation results can also make strong marketing tools. Community members are more likely to participate in your program if it has proven to be successful. Market your program by highlighting some of the major findings in flyers, brochures, and other materials. Evaluation results can also be used to gain trust in the community. Evaluating your programs will show community members that you are committed to delivering the most effective programs possible.

Within Your Agency:

As discussed previously, whether or not the results of your evaluation are positive, they can be used to improve your program. Evaluation can provide you with clues as to what might make your program more successful and how you might best meet the needs of the community. For example, if you find that participant knowledge increased significantly after the program, but participant skills did not, you may want to augment the skill-building lessons. You may also want to pay attention to specific areas where participant knowledge appeared to increase substantially, or where it did not. This might help you to refine your lessons further and get a sense of where your program is most effective. Bring program staff together to interpret the results and discuss how they can be used to improve your program. You may also want to solicit the feedback of program participants when appropriate.

Evaluation can also be used to define priorities. Your findings can help you make decisions about programming, such as where you should focus your program hours, resources, and staff time. With limited resources it is vital to be confident of the effectiveness of your work. Evaluation can also be an important tool for raising staff morale. Positive evaluation results can give staff compelling evidence that their hard work pays off — that the programs they are delivering make a positive difference in people's lives. Even negative results, if used to modify and improve programs, demonstrate to staff a commitment to ensuring that their time is well spent and meaningful.

Within the Field:

Finally, evaluation can be used to increase scientific knowledge within a given field. Evaluation results, when shared with others through publication or other means, can add to our collective knowledge about what types of programs are most effective. This can be very useful for sharing and promoting best practices, as well as in dealing with the opposition.

Evaluation has become a crucial component of delivering sexuality education — for improving programs, ensuring or seeking funding, and reporting to management and supporters. If you are going to invest the time and money necessary to conduct an evaluation, be sure to use the results. Ultimately, this will benefit both your program and your organization as a whole.

For questions or assistance on evaluation, or to request an Evaluator's Corner on a particular topic, please contact: Julia Kohn, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 434 W. 33rd St., New York, NY 10001. Fax: 212-247-6269. Email: Julia.kohn@ppfa.org