Evaluation reports are an important and often overlooked part of the evaluation process. Evaluation reports are the primary way of communicating findings to stakeholders, funders, and other affected parties.
You will create an evaluation report in Module 12. Please follow the assignment directions closely.
Evaluation reports can take many different forms, from written reports to oral presentations.
Subscribe to My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
The primary reason to produce an evaluation report is so it can be READ and the findings APPLIED to practice.
Consider the following when drafting your report.
Your report should be tailored to your audience. Consider the time your audience has to read the report, what they plan to do with the findings, and their preferred reporting method.
You may end up creating two evaluation reports, one for the funders that reads like a traditional report, and another more dynamic version that can be presented to the stakeholders.
Carefully consider the visual elements at your disposal when writing the evaluation report. Whenever possible, use visual elements to convey your findings. People are more likely to pay attention to and remember visual elements. Make sure that all visual elements are accurate, easy to understand, and culturally appropriate for your audience.
Regardless of the format, the evaluation report should include the following elements: summary, context, methodology, results, discussion and conclusion.
The conclusion section is often overlooked, but it is one of the most important sections of the paper, and the one your audience is likely to pay attention to. All evaluation reports should include conclusions/recommendations and a call to action, these items are found in the conclusion section.
Finally, consider the evaluation purpose throughout the process. You may end up changing or modifying your research purpose at some point during the evaluation process. Adapting the purpose is expected and normal, but you must also adjust the evaluation report to the amended purpose. Your research purpose may require modification if there are changes to elements within the program. Some common reasons for evaluation purpose modification are listed in the graphic below.
One item not listed is changes to funding. Because evaluation is often performed at the end of a project, it is not uncommon for funding to be limited or nonexistent when it gets time to write the report. Do the best you can, with the resources you have. Share the key findings in an accessible and affordable way.
Sister Suker's Classroom 