Guidance

TASK 4: Report Evaluation Results

Sharing your evaluation results can stimulate support from funders, community leaders, and others in the community. The best way to ensure the use of your data is to communicate your findings in ways that meet the needs of your various stakeholders. Consider the following:

  • Presentation. Think about how your findings are reported, including layout, readability, and user-friendliness, and who will present the information.
  • Timing. If a report is needed for the legislative session but is not ready in time, the chances of the data being used drop dramatically.
  • Relevance. If the evaluation design is logically linked to the purpose and outcomes of the project, the findings are far more likely to be put to use.
  • Quality. This will influence whether your findings are taken seriously.
  • Post-Evaluation Technical Assistance. Questions of interpretation will arise over time, and people will be more likely to use the results if they can get their questions answered after the findings have been reported.

Evaluations are always read within a particular political context or climate. Some evaluation results will be used because of political support, while others may not be widely promoted due to political pressure. Other factors, such as the size of your organization or program, may matter as well. Sometimes larger programs get more press; sometimes targeted programs do.

It is also important to consider competing information: Do results from similar programs confirm or conflict with your results? What other topics may be competing for attention?

It is helpful to develop a plan for disseminating your evaluation findings, taking these types of questions into consideration.

 

Tool
Prevention Planning