Evaluation  View RSS Feed Last updated 4/7/2008

Evaluation is imperative for both performance measurement of programs and organizational effectiveness. Nonprofits have various objectives and roles based on their communities and missions and measuring the impact of their efforts can play a crucial role in decision-making. This topic area includes resources on the various types of evaluation, assessment tools, and what your organizations should consider.

Data Collection
Data collection is the act or process of capturing raw or primary data from a single source or from multiple sources. Evaluators have many options for collecting data and must ensure that their data is reliable and valid.
Legal Considerations
Legal considerations are the factors governing sound judgment and lawful decision-making. Organizations must be aware of the legal responsibilities and constitutional obligations, while evaluating, to minimize legal ramifications and lawsuits.
Outcome Evaluation
Outcome evaluation is an assessment of the measurable results of a project. This may include positive or negative changes that occur in conditions, people, and policies as a result of an organization’s or program’s inputs, activities, and outputs.
Process
A typical evaluation process is comprised of six main parts (1) problem definition, (2) literature review, (3) research design, data collection and selection of subjects, (4) data analysis, and (5) conclusions.
Types of Evaluation
Evaluators have many different ways of conducting evaluations for their programs and organizations, including developmental, participatory, formative, summative, cluster, and project evaluation.