Effective evaluation planning sets a program up for learning, adaptation, and future growth. When we begin working with organizations on program evaluation, they’re often balancing funder requirements with limited time, data, and staff capacity. Evaluation can either be simply a box to check for funding compliance or a strategic tool. We work with organizations to ensure it is the latter. Our evaluation approach is grounded in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health and adapted to each program’s goals. 

From the beginning of evaluation planning, we work closely with program staff. We review prior program evaluation findings, existing administrative data, and current activities to assess program context. We then describe the program in detail, which includes developing or updating a logic model that reflects both current program activities and the program’s future direction. These early steps build the foundation for the program evaluation and encourage a collaborative approach with our clients. We’ve found that this early and ongoing engagement ensures that the evaluation is grounded in how the program actually operates and who it serves. 

To focus the evaluation questions and design, we use participatory methods such as a nominal group technique. This approach encourages staff to brainstorm questions that are relevant to their work, without the pressure to craft “perfect” evaluation language. By focusing on what the program wants to know and how the information will be used, we ensure evaluation questions are aligned with program priorities, capacity, and decision-making needs. 

We design evaluations that gather credible evidence, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Our evaluation plans specify indicators, data sources, timelines, and analysis plans. This detailed evaluation plan ensures that expectations are clear and the data collection plan is manageable. Beyond simply collecting and analyzing data, we emphasize interpreting findings to generate and support conclusions through the evaluation. 

The goal of program evaluation is to collect data and generate conclusions that allow programs to act on findings. In addition to a comprehensive evaluation report at the conclusion of the evaluation, we share progress and interim results to contextualize findings and allow for program improvement in real time. We also develop standalone products that help programs share evaluation findings with stakeholders. These may include fact sheets, presentations, or dashboards, and are tailored to the program’s intended audience and use. 

Across clients and contexts, our goal is to conduct program evaluations that balance rigor with feasibility, meet funder requirements, and most importantly, produce insights that programs can actually use.