Start an evaluation

Q: What do we need before writing an evaluation plan?

Organize the evaluation purpose, main questions, pathway to results, candidate indicators, intended users, data sources, and schedule.

Q: Can we start an evaluation without an external evaluator?

An internal team can begin by clarifying purpose, building a logic model, framing evaluation questions, and designing monitoring. Consider expert advice for causal inference, ethics, personal information, and advanced statistical analysis.

Choose the situation closest to your project

Practical support for the first steps of an evaluation.

Design an evaluation for a new programClarify the purpose, logic, indicators, and evaluation plan Improve a program in progressExamine monitoring, implementation, and barriers in practice Demonstrate effects and impactReview causal designs, comparison conditions, available data, and limits of the claims Use reports and recommendationsConnect conclusions, recommendations, and management response

Selected situation

Designing an evaluation for a new program

First decide which decisions the evaluation findings will inform, then develop the program logic, evaluation questions, indicators, and data collection plan in sequence.

In the first 90 min: first tasks

State in one sentence which decision the evaluation findings will inform
Decide who will use the evaluation to make which decisions
15 min
Map the pathway to results
Use a logic model or theory of change to examine hypotheses about change
30 min
Link questions to data
Enter questions, indicators, sources, and responsibilities in the evaluation design matrix
45 min

First deliverableAn evaluation design matrix

See questions, indicators, sources, and responsibilities on one page

Create an evaluation design matrix Logic Model explained View example

Check the information needed and related resources

Suggested participants: Program lead + practitioner

Related resources

Methods, guides, and worksheets for each phase of evaluation.

79MethodFind evaluation methods 23 practical guidesRead guides for practical use WorksheetsUse a completed example as a reference

First steps by project situation

Review the plan and related links for each situation below.

Selected situation

Designing an evaluation for a new program

First decide which decisions the evaluation findings will inform, then develop the program logic, evaluation questions, indicators, and data collection plan in sequence.

In the first 90 min: first tasks

State in one sentence which decision the evaluation findings will inform
Decide who will use the evaluation to make which decisions
15 min
Map the pathway to results
Use a logic model or theory of change to examine hypotheses about change
30 min
Link questions to data
Enter questions, indicators, sources, and responsibilities in the evaluation design matrix
45 min

First deliverableAn evaluation design matrix

See questions, indicators, sources, and responsibilities on one page

Create an evaluation design matrix Logic Model explained View example

Check the information needed and related resources

Suggested participants: Program lead + practitioner

Read first

Evaluation questions Logic Model Evaluation plan

Candidate method

Learning Agenda Logic Model Key Evaluation Questions Indicator Design Evaluation Design Matrix

Next worksheet

Learning agenda worksheet Logic model worksheet Evaluation design matrix worksheet

Selected situation

Evaluation to improve an ongoing program

Quickly understand implementation, barriers in practice, and participants’ responses, and connect findings to monitoring and improvement meetings.

In the first 60 min: first tasks

Choose one gap
Focus on an aspect of reach, activities, or quality that is not proceeding as planned
15 min
Plan a short inquiry
Choose the hypotheses, interviewees, and existing records for a rapid evaluation
25 min
Connect findings to an improvement meeting
Set a date to review indicators and field accounts, assign responsibility, and specify the decisions to make
20 min

First deliverableRapid evaluation research plan

Agree on the hypotheses, sources, and next improvement meeting

Create a rapid evaluation plan Process Evaluation explained View example

Check the information needed and related resources

Suggested participants: Field lead + records coordinator

Read first

Monitoring and evaluation Process Evaluation Interview design

Candidate method

Rapid Evaluation Implementation Fidelity Assessment Performance Measurement Interview Observation

Next worksheet

Rapid evaluation design and implementation worksheet Implementation fidelity assessment checklist Performance indicator design and KPI definition worksheet

Selected situation

Examining effects and impact

First consider how a counterfactual could be established. Distinguish what can support rigorous causal inference from what should be described as contribution.

In the first 90 min: first tasks

Take stock of possible comparisons
Check intervention and comparison groups, before-and-after data, and exogenous assignment conditions
30 min
Compare possible designs
Check the conditions and data needed for RCTs, natural experiments, DiD, RDD, and ITS
35 min
Define the limits of the claims
Use contribution analysis or process tracing where causal estimation is difficult
25 min

First deliverableCausal evaluation feasibility note

Clarify feasible comparisons, available data, limitations, and questions for further advice

Open the natural experiment worksheet Baseline and endline explained View example

Check the information needed and related resources

Suggested participants: Program lead + data coordinator

Read first

Impact Evaluation Baseline and endline Evaluation methods for EBPM

Candidate method

Natural Experiment Randomized Controlled Trial Difference-in-Differences Regression Discontinuity Design Interrupted Time Series Analysis Contribution Analysis

Next worksheet

Natural experiment design checklist DiD design and analysis checklist Contribution story worksheet

Selected situation

Reporting, recommendations, and use

Connect the report to conclusions, recommendations, responsibility for action, and the next learning questions, rather than ending the work at the report.

In the first 75 min: first tasks

Organize findings by question
For each evaluation question, organize findings, evidence, interpretation, and limitations
25 min
Turn recommendations into action
Specify who will do what and by when
25 min
Agree on responsibility for the response
Connect the response to the management response process and the next learning agenda
25 min

First deliverableManagement Response

Agree on a response, responsible person, and deadline for each recommendation

Record the response plan Mixed Methods Research explained View example

Check the information needed and related resources

Suggested participants: Evaluation coordinator + decision-maker

Read first

Evaluation report Mixed Methods Research Evaluation Ethics

Candidate method

Evaluation Report Writing Management Response Evaluation Dissemination and Communication Meta-Evaluation Learning Agenda

Next worksheet

Evaluation report structure planning worksheet Recommendation response table (management response template)Learning agenda worksheet

Shortcuts by field

ROUTES

Evaluating grants and subsidized programs

To explain outcomes, first align evaluation questions, the logic model, and indicator design, then connect the report to recommendations and next year’s improvements.

Guide to evaluating nonprofits and grant-funded programs ／ Logic Model ／ Evaluation report

Evaluating training and staff development

Training evaluation supports improvement when it examines learning, behavior change, implementation fidelity in the workplace, and organizational results separately, as well as satisfaction.

Training evaluation guide ／ Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model ／ Implementation Fidelity Assessment

EBPM for local government and policy

Organize policy questions into a learning agenda, distinguishing those that existing data can answer from those requiring further evaluation.

Guide to evaluation methods for EBPM ／ Learning Agenda ／ Natural Experiment

Evaluating community work and ongoing support

Complex change becomes easier to examine when you map stakeholders and system structures and combine short-cycle rapid evaluation with participatory interpretation.

Participatory Systems Mapping ／ Rapid Evaluation ／ Most Significant Change

Common questions in evaluation practice

QUESTIONS

How should we start choosing evaluation methods?

First decide who will use the evaluation to make which decisions. Then choose methods separately for mapping the pathway to results, monitoring implementation, analyzing outcomes, and reporting and use.

What do we need before writing an evaluation plan?

You need the evaluation purpose, main evaluation questions, a logic model or theory of change, candidate indicators, intended users, data sources, and a schedule. For a small project, a learning agenda and evaluation design matrix can provide a useful starting structure.

Can we start an evaluation without an external evaluator?

An internal team can begin by clarifying the purpose, building a logic model, framing evaluation questions, and designing monitoring. When causal inference, ethics and personal information, or advanced statistical analysis are involved, consider seeking expert advice early.

Adapt the plan to your project

The suggested sequence is a starting point. Use the corresponding worksheet’s fictional example to check denominators, unresolved matters, and reasons for judgments, then adapt the participants and timing to your project.

Find worksheets with completed examples

Content updated: 2026-10-09No documented human reviewEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

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EvalCompass Editorial Team. “Start an evaluation”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-10-09. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/starter

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Change history

2026-10-09 — Reworked the page to show the first tasks and information needed for each project situation.
2026-10-07 — Updated links to the evaluation-plan workspace and page-specific data.
2026-10-06 — Standardized guide counts to use the authoritative data.
2026-09-13 — Added steps for using examples, editorial policy, and citation information.