Managing the Evaluation: Data collection, analysis and report writing

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Managing the Evaluation Data collection,
analysis and report writing

• M. Burns
• FCS 5470

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Management Issues

• Management plan
• Budget
• Communication during evaluation process
• Effective reporting
• Meta-evaluation

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Management plan

• Each task from the evaluation plan
• Who is responsible
• Resources needed
• Timeline for completion

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Importance of a Budget

• Helps direct the evaluation
• Keeps one on track
• Justifies payment
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Assures accountability
• Demonstrates the value of your time!

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Budget Categories

• Personnel/staff
• Materials, supplies, equipment
• Communication
• Printing

• Travel/lodging
• Facilities
• Administrative costs
• Miscellaneous costs

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Communication during evaluation

• Frequency
• At least monthly
• Importance of
• Demonstrates accountability and credibility

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Evaluation Reports

• Verbal
• Discussions
• Videotape presentations
• Public meetings
• News media

• Written
• Short communications
• Poster presentation
• Outlines
• Executive summaries

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Effective Reporting

• Audience identification
• Clear, jargon-free style
• Use of table/figures
• Communicating negative findings
• Integrating data
• Developing recommendations

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Meta-evaluation

• Evaluating the evaluation process
• Reflective in nature
• Must be objective and honest
• Ask a lot of questions

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Meta-evaluation Why complete?

• To assure the evaluation met the intended needs
• To assess the quality
• To identify areas to improve

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Meta-evaluation Questions to ask?

• Focus of the evaluation
• Rationale, purpose, stakeholders, key questions
• Implementation
• Design, data collection methods and tools, data
  analysis methods

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Meta-evaluation Questions to ask?

• Management issues
• Personnel, timeline, budget, communications
• Reporting findings
• Method chosen, timeliness, focus on utilization