The foundation of good evaluation is good program planning. The complete planning process is the most critical and sometimes the least considered by Extension Agents whose strength may be working directly with audiences. Extension personnel begin to become frustrated about evaluation AFTER programs have begun. To eliminate frustration, it is better to consider evaluation as a first step in planning, not just a final measure.
To reduce the frustration, one might think about WHAT WILL YOU EVALUATE? What will you evaluate immediately? What will you evaluate via follow-up assessments? Immediate and follow-up evaluations are designed for different purposes. Immediate objectives assist in the assessment of less intense learning outcomes such as skill development and knowledge enhancement. Immediate evaluation refers to an immediate post-test at the end of the last session before participants leave the program. Follow-up objectives usually require more time, are more intense, and assess higher level changes. Long-term follow-up may occur two months to two years later via mail-out surveys or telephone interviews to measure the long-term effects of the skill, knowledge or behavioral change.
There are key factors to planning when thinking through what to evaluate.
- Keep the "main thing" (objectives and goals) the "main thing."
- It may not be worthwhile or effective to evaluate programs shorter than two hours. Consider making it a personal rule NOT to evaluate one-shot brief programs.
- Evaluate larger efforts, such as a program series or a year to five years worth of total multi-dimensional community efforts to teach, change behavior, and lead to social change outcomes.
- Will follow-up teaching, interventions, and evaluation be necessary to achieve the desired outcomes? How have you planned for this?