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During this phase, it is important to:

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  • Determine the evaluation questions. Evaluation questions relate back to the evaluation purpose, and reflect the interests of program stakeholders. Research questions can be process or outcome driven. 

  • Identify and develop methods for collecting information. Your team may choose from qualitative or quantitative methods (or both).

  • Develop an analysis plan. While analysis will happen after data collection, identifying a plan upfront will help you and your team identify any missing gaps, as well as keep the scope of the evaluation feasible.

  • Share and get feedback on your plan from the steering committee.

Phase 2 in Community-Based Evaluation involves planning for your evaluation. This is a critical stage that takes time and attention. However, building a comprehensive plan will save time down the road. ​

#2 Evaluation Planning highlighted on four phase circular diagram

Community-Based Evaluation:  Evaluation Planning

Methods menu: Qualitative method includes individual interviews, focus groups, community forums, participant observation, arts-based methods and more. Quantitative methods include surveys, informal questionnaires, census data, large data sets, intake forms, and more. Consider who is going to be collecing and analyzing the data. Data can be primary (new) and secondary (pre-existing). It's best to use multiple methods from multiple perspectives.

There are a number of methods to choose from including qualitative (e.g., capturing subjective experience or meanings) and/or quantitative (e.g., seeing patterns or trends through numbers) methods. Your methods should help you answer your evaluation questions. During this stage, it can be helpful to consider who on your team has the capacity and resources to implement the methods you select. Finally, it will be important to develop an analysis plan to ensure you are not collecting more data than your team has the capacity to analyse. 

To learn more, watch our webinar, "Planning your Evaluation, Data Gathering and Analysis in Community-Based Evaluation: Evaluating SDGs for Local Impact." Download webinar 3 slides here and access a copy of our workbook here.

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