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Developing Evaluation Plans

While developing a strategy for conducting an educational or outreach program, a plan of how to also evaluate the effort is necessary. This requires some level of thought and decision making. Which program should you evaluate? Who is the target audience? What evaluation tool will you use? The following resources provide information on developing evaluation plans.

Evidence-Based Programming: What Is a Process an Extension Agent Can Use to Evaluate a Program's Effectiveness?
A Journal of Extension article by Fetsch, et al., Colorado State University, presents methods Extension personnel can use to test or enhance an existing Extension program's effectiveness, or to test the effectiveness of a new program that looks promising. 2012.

How to Design Successful Evaluation and Assessment Plans (PDF)
This step by step guide by Authenticity Consulting, LLC, offers information on program evaluation planning.

Develop a Plan
This on-line training guide by The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Pathways to College Network, provides a range of information related to planning for conducting an evaluation - from developing questions and a logic model to choosing a design and creating a strategy. Part of a on-line training series title "Evaluation Toolkit"; see Training Materials section for details.

Which Program Should I Evaluate?
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, is a decision making tool for determining which programs to evaluate. 2001.

Evaluating an Event: When and How?
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, presents strategies to evaluate a specific event. 2005.

Planning a Program Evaluation: Worksheet (PDF)
This worksheet by Ellen Taylor-Powell, Sara Steele and Mohammad Douglah, University of Wisconsin-Madison, presents a step by step plan for a program evaluation. 2006.

Planning a Program Evaluation (PDF)
This guide by Ellen Taylor-Powell, Sara Steele, and Mohammad Douglah, University of Wisconsin, provides in-depth instruction on planning a program evaluation. 1996.

8 Steps in Planning an Evaluation Strategy
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, outlines the steps to conduct an evaluation. 2006.

Practical Strategies for Documenting Practice Change (PDF)
This fact sheet by Roger A. Rennekamp, University of Kentucky, discusses practical strategies for documenting practice change over time. Contains points to consider and strategies to use when developing plans to measure practice change.

Strategies for Ensuring High-Impact Outreach and Scholarship (PDF)
This Journal of Extension article by Ginny Powell, Rutgers University, discusses strategies for using a programming model for extension program planning and evaluation. A step by step guide and suggestions on including program evaluation from the start of any extension program. 2011.

Introducing an Evaluation
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, focuses on strategies to introduce a survey or pre/post test to an audience, and how to enhance participant interest and alleviate concerns in participating in an evaluation. 2001.

Sampling A Diverse Audience
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, presents strategies to compile a comprehensive and accurate list of the potential target audience, and how to draw a stratified random sample from that list. Good strategies to help select the best and most representative audience for surveys or needs assessments. 2001.

Another Kind of Evaluation
This Journal of Extension article by M. F. Smith, University of Florida-Gainesville and Yvonna S. Lincoln, University of Kansas-Lawrence, presents a focused and systematic approach to qualitative evaluation together with a discussion of its possible application by Extension staff. 1984.

Program Development in a Political World--It's All About Impact!
This Journal of Extension article by Keith Diem, Rutgers University, presents a process for developing and promoting Extension educational programs that yield impact. 2003.

What Kind of Question is Good for Evaluating Awareness?
This fact sheet by Nancy Ellen Kiernan, Penn State University, discusses the use of a comparative question before and after the awareness stage of the program to determine increase in audience awareness. 2002.

Designing Follow-up Evaluations
This fact sheet by Janet Bechman, Purdue University, is a simple guide to follow-up program evaluation planning. 2007.

Designing Tools for Evaluation and Impact Reporting
This fact sheet by Janet Bechman, Purdue University, is a guidance document on how to plan for program evaluation by developing the right survey tool. 2007.