Evaluation report structure planning worksheet

Agree with stakeholders on readers, structure and the direction of recommendations before writing. Completing this worksheet provides a blueprint for the report.

When to use this worksheet and what completion involves Fictional completed example

EvalCompass Worksheet

Evaluation report structure planning worksheet

Method: Evaluation Report Writing

Agree with stakeholders on readers, structure and the direction of recommendations before writing. Completing this worksheet provides a blueprint for the report.

Basic information

Enter the report's basic details

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Program evaluated: Community consultation sessions (fictional)
Evaluation period: July–September 2026
Report author (lead): Evaluation officer A
Expected main readers: Operations meeting and resident participants
Planned submission or publication date: October 10, 2026

Reason for this entry: Specify the meeting where the report will be used and the publication date first.

Program evaluated

Evaluation period

Report author (lead)

Expected main readers

Planned submission or publication date

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Enter the report's basic details

Specify the meeting where the report will be used and the publication date first.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Follow each field’s heading to record the program name, focus, period, and other details. Leave undecided matters clearly marked as unresolved.

Read the full fictional example

Plan for different readers

Organize the required length and focus for each readership

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Reader group	Interests	Document and length	Distribution method
Management meeting	Need to review reception arrangements	Full report and a one-page decision memo	Meeting materials
Resident participants	How their views were addressed	Results and planned responses in plain Japanese	Distribution on request and online

Reason for this entry: Adapt the medium to how readers will use it.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Reader group	Interests	Document and length	Distribution method

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Organize the required length and focus for each readership

Adapt the medium to how readers will use it.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Proposed chapters and structure

Enter each chapter's title and main content, linked to evaluation questions

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chapter number	Chapter title	Main content and corresponding evaluation questions	Person responsible
1	Summary	Questions, key findings, judgments and limitations	Evaluation officer A
2	Background and methods	Purpose of reception improvements, scope of records and voluntary interviews	Researcher B
3	Findings and conclusions	Who was affected by waiting times, and how	Evaluation officer A
4	Recommendations and annexes	Improvement options, document list and questionnaire	Operations representative C

Reason for this entry: Structure chapters around questions as well as methods.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chapter number	Chapter title	Main content and corresponding evaluation questions	Person responsible

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Enter each chapter's title and main content, linked to evaluation questions

Structure chapters around questions as well as methods.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Potential recommendations

Organize proposed recommendations with priorities and intended recipients (preferably no more than five in the final version)

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Recommendation number	Recommendation summary	Intended recipient	Priority (high/medium/low)	Indicative deadline
R1	Pilot reception assistance during busy periods only	Operations representative C	High	Assess pilot results at the end of November 2026
R2	Record reception times using the same definition at every session	Reception staff member B	High	From October 2026

Reason for this entry: Specify what should improve and the next decision deadline.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Recommendation number	Recommendation summary	Intended recipient	Priority (high/medium/low)	Indicative deadline

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Organize proposed recommendations with priorities and intended recipients (preferably no more than five in the final version)

Specify what should improve and the next decision deadline.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Quality check

Check before finalization

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

☑ Checked: The executive summary stands alone, and its length and content meet readers' information needs and submission requirements
☑ Checked: Every recommendation specifies who should do what by when
☑ Checked: Findings are organized by evaluation question
☑ Checked: Evidence (data and quotations) supports conclusions and recommendations
☑ Checked: Numbers in the data match those in the text, figures and tables
☑ Checked: Limitations and considerations are stated frankly

Reason for this entry: This fictional example assumes the draft report has been checked. The summary is one page to suit these readers; this is not a universally required maximum.

The executive summary stands alone, and its length and content meet readers' information needs and submission requirements
Every recommendation specifies who should do what by when
Findings are organized by evaluation question
Evidence (data and quotations) supports conclusions and recommendations
Numbers in the data match those in the text, figures and tables
Limitations and considerations are stated frankly

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Check before finalization

This fictional example assumes the draft report has been checked. The summary is one page to suit these readers; this is not a universally required maximum.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Read each item and check those you have confirmed. Do not use the fictional example’s checkbox states as findings about your own program.

Read the full fictional example

Before writing, check when to use the worksheet and what completion involves

Evaluation report structure planning worksheet is a worksheet for applying Evaluation Report Writing in meetings or individual work. For the overall duration of the method, use “Illustrative estimate (adjust for scale and team): 3–10 days (depending on evaluation scale and length)” as a reference, adjusting for scale and resources. Fill in what you know provisionally and leave unresolved matters as questions to check next.

When this worksheet is useful

When an evaluation study is complete and findings need to be formally recorded and shared
When a deliverable is required to demonstrate accountability to funders or higher-level bodies
When communicating recommendations that directly inform policy or program improvement

Participants and preparation

Evaluation team (lead evaluator and members), editors and proofreaders, and commissioner-side reviewers. For external evaluations, appoint a separate quality assurance reviewer.

Bring the materials used for decisions, existing data, and differing stakeholder views to help complete the worksheet.

Suggested order

1. Basic informationEnter the report's basic details
2. Plan for different readersOrganize the required length and focus for each readership
3. Proposed chapters and structureEnter each chapter's title and main content, linked to evaluation questions
4. Potential recommendationsOrganize proposed recommendations with priorities and intended recipients (preferably no more than five in the final version)
5. Quality checkCheck before finalization

Signs the worksheet is ready for review

Evaluation report (final)
Executive summary (standalone summary)
Recommendations table

Cautions for review

Recommendations remain too abstract, stopping at “strengthen X.” Without specific actions, responsible people and deadlines, they will not be implemented.
Self-censorship waters down critical findings. Frank, evidence-based writing protects the value of evaluation.
Annexes are incomplete, undermining reproducibility and verifiability

Guides to read before starting

Read a completed fictional example (your entries will not change)

Fictional example; not actual results

The following is a fictional example for illustration. Reception records and voluntary interviews are compiled to improve consultation session operations.

Basic information

Program evaluated: Community consultation sessions (fictional)
Evaluation period: July–September 2026
Report author (lead): Evaluation officer A
Expected main readers: Operations meeting and resident participants
Planned submission or publication date: October 10, 2026

Reason for this entry: Specify the meeting where the report will be used and the publication date first.

Plan for different readers

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Reader group	Interests	Document and length	Distribution method
Management meeting	Need to review reception arrangements	Full report and a one-page decision memo	Meeting materials
Resident participants	How their views were addressed	Results and planned responses in plain Japanese	Distribution on request and online

Reason for this entry: Adapt the medium to how readers will use it.

Proposed chapters and structure

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chapter number	Chapter title	Main content and corresponding evaluation questions	Person responsible
1	Summary	Questions, key findings, judgments and limitations	Evaluation officer A
2	Background and methods	Purpose of reception improvements, scope of records and voluntary interviews	Researcher B
3	Findings and conclusions	Who was affected by waiting times, and how	Evaluation officer A
4	Recommendations and annexes	Improvement options, document list and questionnaire	Operations representative C

Reason for this entry: Structure chapters around questions as well as methods.

Potential recommendations

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Recommendation number	Recommendation summary	Intended recipient	Priority (high/medium/low)	Indicative deadline
R1	Pilot reception assistance during busy periods only	Operations representative C	High	Assess pilot results at the end of November 2026
R2	Record reception times using the same definition at every session	Reception staff member B	High	From October 2026

Reason for this entry: Specify what should improve and the next decision deadline.

Quality check

☑ Checked: The executive summary stands alone, and its length and content meet readers' information needs and submission requirements
☑ Checked: Every recommendation specifies who should do what by when
☑ Checked: Findings are organized by evaluation question
☑ Checked: Evidence (data and quotations) supports conclusions and recommendations
☑ Checked: Numbers in the data match those in the text, figures and tables
☑ Checked: Limitations and considerations are stated frankly

Reason for this entry: This fictional example assumes the draft report has been checked. The summary is one page to suit these readers; this is not a universally required maximum.

Common errors in judgment

List survey results and add recommendations

How to revise: Link findings, reasons for judgments and recommendations for each question

Reason: This makes the evidence supporting recommendations traceable.

Hide limitations in the annexes alone to improve readability

How to revise: Present major limitations in the summary and near the conclusions too

Reason: This communicates the scope of judgments even to readers who read only the summary.

Editorial and checking information

Content updated: 2026-10-07Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)No documented human reviewIncludes fictional examplesEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

References and checked sections

Checklist for Program Evaluation Report Content
Kelly N. Robertson and Lori A. Wingate / Western Michigan University · 2017
Section consulted
pp. 1–2; Evaluation Results, p. 5
How it relates to the text
Tailor the report's structure and detail to its readers, showing how findings lead to conclusions and recommendations.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)

How to cite this page

EvalCompass Editorial Team. “Evaluation report structure planning worksheet”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-10-07. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/worksheets/evaluation-report/

Add the date you accessed the page. Text created by this site is available under CC BY 4.0. Quotations, external materials, and bundled fonts have their own terms of use. When reusing content, credit the source, link to the license, and indicate any changes.

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Change history

2026-10-07 — Corrected descriptions and procedures identified through content checks (U06, U14). Preserved input field order, counts, labels and section structure.
2026-09-13 — Updated explanations to correspond with sources, and added method-specific fictional worksheet examples, judgment examples and revision history.