Learn how to bridge the gap between evaluation questions and indicators in program evaluation. This article explains why developing indicators is a crucial step before choosing methods and measures, ensuring evaluations are focused, feasible, and aligned with intended outcomes. Discover practical tips for selecting specific, measurable, and timely indicators, balancing quantitative and qualitative approaches, and using frameworks like logic models and theory of change. The guide also covers indicator types, triangulation, and the importance of involving stakeholders in indicator design for robust, actionable evaluation results.

Learn how to write effective evaluation questions with these 10 expert tips from Eval Academy. Discover how to align questions with purpose, engage partners, and explore outcomes, systems, and context.

It seems so simple – just ask a question! But many new evaluators or side-of-desk evaluators struggle with confidence in creating good evaluation questions. This article shares a few tips for writing evaluation questions as well as an example of how I go from a client meeting to drafting evaluation questions.

Check out the top 10 posts of 2022 from Eval Academy.

As a program manager or project lead, you may find yourself needing an evaluator. How do you get that evaluator oriented to the project? What information do they need? Let’s walk through it.

A look at how using different evaluation strategies or frameworks can help you to craft perfect evaluation questions.

Evaluation questions focus data collection. They are what our stakeholders need to answer. When they have the answer to these questions, they can tell their stories. But it can be challenging to write questions at just the right level, that will provide guidance for choosing methods and developing data collection tools, and will actually yield the information to satisfy stakeholders.

Each evaluation is different. You have different stakeholders, different topics, different timelines and different end goals. Some evaluation plans will be simple, and others more complex. When developing your evaluation plan, you can take a mix and match approach to its composition.

Here are some common components of evaluation plans. Your plan might need just a few, or it may need all of them.