Evaluation Methods

Through the use of pictures, video or audio representations, maps or models, displays and exhibits can be used to draw attention to certain issues and assist in community engagement. 

Group model building involves building a logic model in a group, often using sticky notes.

The reporting of unusual events or incidents is important both for the sake of transparency and to improve policies and procedures.

Supervision of practice is an approach often used in social work where it is expected that all practitioners will engage in regular discussions of and reflections on their practice; it

Criterion sampling involves the identification of a particular criterion of importance, articulation of this criterion, and systematic review and study of cases that meet the criterion

Multivariate descriptive statistics involves analysing relationships between more than two variables.

Typical case sampling allows the evaluator to develop a profile of what is agreed as average, or normal.

Policy briefs are designed to outline findings and recommendations in an accessible manner for specific target audiences.

The after action review (AAR) is a simple method for facilitating an assessment of organisational performance by bringing together a team to discuss a task, event, activity or project

Treating data that doesn’t fit the expected pattern not as outliers but as potential clues to other causal factors and then seeking to explain them.

Majority decision making involves making decisions based on the support of the majority of the decision-makers.

Value for money is a term used in different ways, including as a synonym for cost-effectiveness, and as systematic approach to considering these issues throughout planning and implemen

Deviation bar graphs are simply two bar charts aligned, where one of the charts runs right to left rather than left to right.

Questionnaires and surveys can be conducted through mobile phones which are able to connect to the internet.

Evaluation journals play an important role in documenting, developing, and sharing theory and practice.

The journals below are divided into three categories:

Stratified random sampling is a probabilistic sampling method, in which the first step is to split the population into strata, i.e. sections or segments.

Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is a method that can be used as a means of measuring outcome data from different contexts set out on a 5 point scale of -2 to +2.

Process tracing is a case-based approach to causal inference which focuses on the use of clues within a case (causal-process observations, CPOs) to adjudicate between alternative possi

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Pictures or images provide another way of presenting information, and increasing understanding of your results.

Component design is an approach to mixed methods evaluation that conducts qualitative components of the evaluation separately to quantitative components and then combines the data at t