Evaluators are equipped to ask and answer some pretty complex questions. We are not afraid to tackle abstract ideas and make sense of messy data. However, there is one question that can be tough to succinctly answer - what is evaluation?

The evaluation profession is not immune to structural racism - but what can we do about it? Caldwell and Bledsoe propose systemic changes to our professional organizations in evaluation to help unravel these systems of oppression.

On a summer morning, after several attempts to interview clients for an evaluation project, I arrived with a social worker at an overnight shelter. Finally, we had located Jules, who wanted to share her experiences with the program I was learning about. When we approached her and her friends, we noticed that she was sipping from a bottle of vodka.

Recently we used outcome harvesting as part of a developmental evaluation. As with most developmental and participatory techniques, using this method was a bit time intensive, but the results were worth it! Here we share how we used the methodology and what we wished someone had told us before we started.

When you are asked to conduct an evaluation for a program it can be like shopping for a bike - there are various types, sizes and budgets. Designing an evaluation that meets your stakeholders’ needs begins with a scoping process. There are a number of questions that you should ask to scope an evaluation, but ultimately scoping an evaluation focuses on purpose.

Sometimes online resources just aren’t enough. Some questions call for discussion, for a second opinion – a coach. That’s why Eval Academy is launching its new evaluation coaching service.

Evaluators have several options for transcribing audio from interviews, including voice-to-text software, outsourcing, and doing it ourselves. If you are taking the DIY approach, here are four tips to get you transcribing like a pro!

A recent study in the American Journal of Evaluation showed how three simple visual design principles could be applied to logic models to make them more effective and understandable. This article summarizes the findings of that study so you can improve your logic model.

Time and time again, we hear of people going through an evaluation only to be disappointed that the findings didn’t give them the answers they wanted. So I’m going to share three ways we help clients use the results from our evaluations.

Evaluators need to write clearly for their work to be used. Although not preferable, the written evaluation report must stand on its own, clearly conveying the key findings and messages. The 9 mistakes below are ones that I’ve come across in my years of writing, editing, and reading evaluation reports.

Evaluations are inherently political, which means they are fraught with ethical choices and decisions along the way. There have been many instances throughout my career where I faced an ethical dilemma - here are some things that have helped me silence the devil on my left shoulder and figure out the right thing to do.

Here, I share solutions to two challenges you are likely to come across while entering survey data: 1) coding complex question types and 2) dealing with unclear responses. Addressing these challenges will require some advanced coding that I did not cover in my first article.

When entering survey data, it is important that it is accurate, easy to analyze, and fast. Use these tips to prevent mistakes from the beginning.

The most exciting part about conducting a survey is seeing the results – finally your hard work has come to fruition, and you get to hear what everybody had to say! But before you can get to that step, you need to transform the stack of paper surveys on your desk into useable data.

In this article, I share my three-step system for making survey data entry as easy and painless as possible, which comes from my experience designing, entering, and analyzing survey data.

The process of writing an evaluation report is like cooking. It can be a joyful and meditative process for some and an annoying necessity for others. Both cooking and report writing take practice; the more you do them, the more you refine your processes and find your own groove. While there is no formula to create a perfect reporting process, there are some key steps that can set you up for success.

Program evaluations in a low resource setting can be challenging in that the program staff may not have the skills or capacity to see it through. However, agencies often require formal evaluation of their funded programs. As such, I offer strategies for success when evaluating within a LRS.

Through developing and delivering evaluation training, we know the value of short guides for translating concepts to practice. That’s why we developed this free resource that helps evaluators reflect on whether and how they are applying the Program Evaluation Standards developed by the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation.