CONTENTS

Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Evaluation and the Program Planning Process
2. Data Analysis, or "What Do You Mean by That?"
3. Special Challenges in Evaluating Prevention Programs

Supplements
Resources

Evaluation for the Unevaluated:
Program Evaluation 102

Overview of Data Collection

Data collection begins even before your program starts. For example, you collect information about your community, the problem you want to address, your target population, and available resources.

As you plan your program, think about what type of information you'll need to measure your objectives. For example, to measure changes in school performance, Jack could use copies of the participants' report cards before and after the program.

Once you have an idea of what data you will need, you can set up a schedule and figure out the best method of collecting the data. For example, Jack knew he would need to find out the students' grades before and after the program. He could check the report card schedules with the participants' school to schedule collection of this information. He also could determine the best way to get copies of report cards.

Collect only what you need. Once you have your evaluation questions ready, go through them one last time and ask, "Why am I asking this question, and what will I do with the answer?" Jack had narrowed his questions down to the minimum needed to answer the key question, "Is my program working?" But what is the best way to collect the data?

Nothing's simple. Here are some types of data collection commonly used in evaluation and the main pros and cons of each. Your choice of method, with or without an outside evaluator, will depend on your budget, staff available, timeline, and nature of the population being studied.