The Program Evaluation KnowledgeBase : Element 1 : Activity 3 : Task 3: Develop Evaluation Questions
Guideline: Evaluation is a critical component throughout the life of a program or project. In planning the evaluation determining what questions you want to ask in an important step. As a program or project evolves through its life cycle, different questions might be asked at different life stages. Questions to address over the life of a program or project as suggested in W. K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook include:
1. What do you want your project to accomplish?
2. How will you know if you have accomplished your goals?
3. What activities will your project undertake to accomplish your goals?
4. What factors might help or hinder your ability to accomplish your goals?
5. What will you want to tell others who are interested in your project?
1. What do you want your project to accomplish?
2. How will you know if you have accomplished your goals?
3. What activities will your project undertake to accomplish your goals?
4. What factors might help or hinder your ability to accomplish your goals?
5. What will you want to tell others who are interested in your project?
Individual group members often have divergent viewpoints. Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats is an effective system that fosters collaboration, increases productivity, and increases creativity and innovation. The concept enables protagonists in a discussion to move from the traditional argumentative approach to a collaborative process and fosters a more productive dialog. The document provides an overview of the tool and additional resources to learn more about it.
The National Science Foundation's User Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations offers guidance on developing evaluation questions. This section includes five worksheets that take an evaluation team or evaluator through a process for developing questions. The worksheets are provided in PDF form for easy printing and reproduction.
The resource from EffectiveMeetings.com offers a list of nine practical tips that will help you have brainstorming sessions that generate results.
The W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Evaluation Toolkit offers information on developing evaluation questions. In addition to a brief overview information is provided on refining initial questions, finding sources that can help in developing questions and general tips on developing evaluation questions.
Print this page
The contents of this website were developed under a cooperative agreement from the