Measuring your program’s progress and outcomes is essential for maintaining accountability and proving its effectiveness. Also, sharing information about progress and setbacks adds to the evidence base for continuing your program and for starting similar programs at other sites.1–3 Creating an evaluation plan before beginning the program, regularly monitoring progress, collecting data on multiple outcomes over time and analyzing and reporting major outcomes will maximize the impact of your findings. HERO and the Population Health Alliance have created a measurement and evaluation guide that can help you create an evaluation plan.4
Working Well: Tips to Improve Evaluation
and Outcome Reporting
Have an evaluation plan before the program is started
Keep track of implementation as you go, so you can make changes as needed
Assign responsibility for data collection and schedule regular reports
Collect data on short-, intermediate- and long-term outcomes
Keep your audience in mind when preparing reports
Create an Evaluation Plan Before
the Program Starts
read more about Create an Evaluation Plan Before the Program Starts
Regularly Monitor Progress on
Programmatic Implementation
read more about Regularly Monitor Progress on Programmatic Implementation
Collect Data on Multiple Outcomes
Over Time
Analyze and Report Major Outcomes
References