Evaluation Made Easy

Team Basics Package

An introduction to evaluation, minus the jargon

AN ENGAGING TOOLKIT OF ACTIVITIES

Evaluation has an important role to play in evidencing the difference programs, projects and other initiatives are making. A major block to starting on the pathway to evaluation is understanding the language and knowing the steps.

Evaluation Made Easy is a 6-8 week flexible course designed to support facilitators in building evaluation capability in their team. And you will be supported in the most effective way of retaining evaluation knowledge and skills - by teaching it!

A visual toolkit will engage and motivate your team in 'doing' evaluation. Regular coaching from experienced evaluation facilitators, a package of easy-to-follow facilitator resources and working in a small group will make facilitation a breeze.

What you get

FACILITATOR GUIDE, SLIDES AND VIDEOS

LIVE, SMALL GROUP COACHING SESSIONS

REGULAR, EXPERT TRAINING SUPPORT

How it Works

INTRODUCTION TO COURSE FACILITATION

Receive the Evaluation Made Easy Team Toolkit and Facilitator materials.

Participate in a live online session where you will meet the evaluation coach (Dr. Samantha Abbato) and the other facilitators (Maximum of 8). This includes an overview of how the course and coaching will work for the 8 weeks.

Approximately weekly commitment is:

90-120 minutes preparation, coaching, and debriefing
90-120 minutes team facilitation.

SUPPORT FOR EACH SESSION AND TOPIC

Participate in group coaching for each of the 6 sessions and topics. Be guided through the materials for each session using a Facilitator's Guide - including a 20-minute video presentation, a Powerpoint Slide Pack and instructions for team activities. All activities are designed so you can support your team to work on and develop their own project

Designed Activity Sheets and Activity Templates will provide direction for applying the topic to your situation. These will be provided in the Course Toolkit as well as online formats to give you and your team flexibility.

FACILITATE YOUR TEAM AND BUILD CAPACITY

Each week, you will be supported to provide a presentation on the Topic to your team. You can choose from a 20-minute video or use an annotated PowerPoint slide pack to present.

Follow the instructions provided in the facilitators guide, on the Toolkit components and the online activity platform to support your team in participating in an activity.

Team reward is to build evaluation capacity whilst working on their own project.

Additional facilitator reward is 90% retained learning by teaching (compared to 5% from attending a presentation on the topic.

PARTICIPATE IN LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCES

4 live scheduled video conference sessions are provided.

The video sessions offer:

A Q&A session on the topics covered
The opportunity to present your team's work,
Networking opportunities with other facilitators participating.

In addition, you will be able to contact the group coach with any questions along the way. You can opt for working with your team on an online platform where the evaluation coach can provide feedback on the activities you complete with your team.

The Sessions and Topics

What others are saying...

the language and concepts of evaluation

We invite you on the journey of outcomes evaluation using pictures, stories and real-life examples. In this first part of the course, we de-mystify evaluation concepts and terminology and provide some basic tools.

LINKING evaluation TO STRATEGY

Understand where evaluation fits strategically for your program and team. Participate in activities to (1) find your why using story (2) separate what you do from the difference you make, and (3) articulate purpose.

introduction to successful stakeholder communication

We provide you with a basic overview and tools for effectively communicating with internal and external program and evaluation stakeholders and identifying use - the major ingredients of outcome evaluation success.

introduction to program tools- 1. theory of change

Understand the difference between a theory of change (TOC) and a program logic (PL). Learn how develop a TOC to frame an outcomes evaluation and strengthen team learning and planning.

program tools - 2. program logic

Develop a pipeline PL to inform process evaluation and activity monitoring, starting with your TOC. Identify contextual and external factors that may impact your program. Articulate principles for guiding your program and evaluation through complexity.

Evaluation questions, readiness and next steps

Learn strategies to identify evaluation questions. Map questions to program models and prioritise for stakeholders and use. Explore the next steps of evaluation planning and be equipped with a rapid evaluation readiness assessment tool.

Are you ready for it?

This 'Outcome Evaluation Made Easy' package is ideal for your team if you:

Have identified the need for evidence of the 'difference you make'
Want to improve the service you provide to participants using an evidence-base
Have facilitation and online skills
Want to rapidly increase your evaluation knowledge and skills by being supported in facilitating a basics course
Your team is ready to come together to further the initiative and evaluation.

Outcome Evaluation Made Easy is available for teams on request