Build an evaluation plan

Record the priority purpose, such as accountability, improvement during implementation, or decisions about continuation or expansion.

Use roles rather than names. For example: at its March planning meeting, the delivery team will decide on the training content and next year’s budget allocation.

Specify the activities, groups, area, and period covered, as well as what is outside the scope.

What activities will you carry out with the budget, people, and partners available?

e.g. Number of training sessions, participants, and materials distributed. Delivery volume alone does not show changes among participants.

Whose knowledge, behavior, or circumstances should change, in what way, and by when? Distinguish short-term changes from medium- and long-term changes.

Why might the activities lead to change? Consider other support, local conditions, impacts on people who find participation difficult, and unintended changes.

e.g. Q1 Were the methods learned in training used in practice? Q2 What conditions made them easier or harder to use?

Use targets, previous conditions, or criteria agreed with stakeholders. Record the reasons for the criteria and anything not yet agreed.

What comparisons or analyses will answer the question? A before-and-after change alone does not establish that the program caused it. Mark uncertain conditions of use as “not yet checked” and consult the method page.

Record the timing and responsible roles for agreement on the design → collection → analysis → interpretation with stakeholders → reporting.

Consider the budget, working time, skills required, and demands on research participants. How will you adjust the scope if resources are insufficient?

Is participation voluntary? Can people decline without disadvantage? How will you explain the study and obtain consent? Record support for people whose voices are hard to reach, appropriate arrangements for children and others, and where to seek advice.

Consider whether each piece of information is needed, anonymization, access permissions, storage location and duration, deletion, and reporting that prevents identification of individuals or small groups. Do not enter actual personal data here.

Specify what will be delivered, to whom, when, and in what format. Explain the evidence and limitations for each question, including unexpected findings.

Specify who takes part in interpretation, the decision-making meeting, actions arising from findings, responsibilities, deadlines, and how follow-up will be checked. For example, if a time slot makes participation difficult, the coordinator adjusts the next schedule and checks participation three months later.

What needs to be checked, with whom, and by when? Filling in a field does not confirm that the plan is sound or agreed.