What are the most effective ways to establish evaluation objectives?

1 Identify your program goals

The first step is to identify your program goals, which are the broad and long-term changes that you want to bring about in your community or target group. Your program goals should align with your mission, vision, and values, as well as the needs and expectations of your stakeholders. You can use tools such as logic models, theories of change, or problem trees to help you articulate your program goals and how they relate to your activities and inputs.

2 Define your evaluation questions

The next step is to define your evaluation questions, which are the specific and focused questions that you want to answer through your evaluation. Your evaluation questions should reflect the purpose and scope of your evaluation, as well as the information needs and interests of your intended users. You can use frameworks such as the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) or the CREAM (Clear, Relevant, Economic, Adequate, and Monitorable) criteria to help you formulate your evaluation questions.

3 Select your evaluation criteria

The third step is to select your evaluation criteria, which are the standards or dimensions that you will use to judge the quality and value of your program. Your evaluation criteria should be relevant to your program goals, evaluation questions, and context, as well as consistent with the evaluation principles and ethical standards. You can use sources such as the OECD-DAC (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Development Assistance Committee) criteria, which include relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, or the CCED (Community Capacity, Empowerment, and Diversity) criteria, which include participation, empowerment, social justice, and cultural competence.

4 Choose your evaluation indicators

The fourth step is to choose your evaluation indicators, which are the measurable and observable data that you will collect and analyze to answer your evaluation questions and assess your evaluation criteria. Your evaluation indicators should be valid, reliable, sensitive, and feasible, as well as aligned with your program goals, evaluation questions, and evaluation criteria. You can use methods such as stakeholder consultation, literature review, or logic models to help you identify and select your evaluation indicators.

5 Write your evaluation objectives

The final step is to write your evaluation objectives, which are the concise and specific statements that summarize what you want to achieve and measure through your evaluation. Your evaluation objectives should incorporate your evaluation questions, criteria, and indicators, as well as the timeframe and scope of your evaluation. You can use templates such as the SMART or the CREAM criteria to help you write your evaluation objectives. For example, an evaluation objective could be: "To measure the effectiveness of the program in increasing the civic engagement of youth in the community by using the indicators of voter registration, volunteerism, and advocacy within six months of the program completion."

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?