Evaluation Is An Act Of Kindness For Your Program
February 2025
About the author: Kim Desjarlais is a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation and an Evaluation Assistant with Three Hive Consulting. She has a background in administrative and managerial roles across nonprofit and community organizations. She brings experience managing data, overseeing enriched programs, and supporting operational functions, with strengths in program evaluation, staff coordination, and system management to enhance organizational effectiveness.
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February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day, which serves as an annual reminder to spread kindness within our local communities. But what if we took this idea one step further? Can the idea of spreading kindness also apply to evaluation? Are there ways that evaluation can be an act of kindness for your program? In this article, I’ll share my thoughts on how evaluation is an act of kindness for your program.
Provides Clarity and Focus
The evaluation process helps to define program goals and objectives through the intentional review or development of a program’s theory of change or logic model. If a theory of change or logic model doesn’t exist, then the evaluation process becomes an opportunity to define the program goals and objectives. Through defined goals and objectives, those involved in the delivery of the program can better understand and articulate what the program is about, who the program is for, and what the intended impact of the program is. A clear understanding of the program’s purpose and target clients reduces confusion and ensures that everyone collaborates to achieve the best outcomes for the program.
Encourages Growth and Continuous Improvement
The evaluation process helps to uncover what is and isn’t working. Through systematic data collection and analysis, you can gain valuable insights into your program. These insights can identify the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Ongoing evaluation can also help to find issues early and test new ideas. Regular evaluation supports an environment of continuous learning and improvement. These improvements can help your program be more resilient and adaptive to change. Every insight gained can be an opportunity to do better.
Improves Resource Management
Resources (time, people, money) are limited, and evaluation can help to find where those resources have the most impact. A kindness to your program is ensuring that these efforts are being used in the most meaningful way possible while providing the greatest impact. This can lead to better sustainability and greater long-term success.
Promotes Accountability and Transparency
Those with a vested interest in your program, like funders, partners, staff, or participants, want to know if your program is achieving its intended impact. Evaluation investigates the program’s performance and if it’s meeting its goals and objectives.
Open communication of evaluation findings can foster both transparency and accountability. This transparency builds trust with all those with a vested interest and demonstrates respect for all involved in the program. This open communication strengthens relationships and can inspire others to get involved or increase their contributions.
Empowers Participants
Evaluation engages participants in the evaluation process, through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. This engagement allows participants to have a voice in shaping the future of the program or other programs of the organization.
Including participant voices in a meaningful way shows that their perspective and experiences matter. This act of kindness acknowledges their contributions and reinforces their role in the program’s success.
Celebrates Successes
It’s easy to only see issues and challenges, but evaluation also highlights successes. This celebration of success can provide a sense of accomplishment to everyone involved and reminds teams of the positive impact their efforts are making.
Celebrating successes might be the most crucial act of kindness we can offer to your program! It boosts morale, reinforces a culture of appreciation, and motivates continued commitment to the program’s goals.
Want to keep learning?
Now that you see the value evaluation brings, here’s where to go next:
NEXT: Put evaluative thinking to work and read Building Better Evaluations: What Atomic Habits Can Teach Us.
GET THE RESOURCE: Put evaluative thinking into practice with 10 Evaluative Thinking Questions (free).
GO DEEPER: Learn how to plan and conduct an evaluation end-to-end with expert guidance in Program Evaluation for Program Managers.