This series of posts walks you through how to reno your evaluation reports using six of Canva’s design lessons. Part 1 focused on how to take your audience on a journey using storytelling techniques. Part 2 in this six-part series focuses on how to format your report with a consistent, cohesive look using two formatting elements: colour and font.

Evaluators are notorious for bad reporting. According to Jane Davidson it has to do with our training. Often evaluators are trained in social sciences – a world that prepares people for academic style research and how to write scientifically. The problem is this doesn’t work in the “real world.” Leaders and decision makers don’t want to comb through pages and pages of text to try and find findings and what they should do about them. #TLDR

Evaluators are equipped to ask and answer some pretty complex questions. We are not afraid to tackle abstract ideas and make sense of messy data. However, there is one question that can be tough to succinctly answer - what is evaluation?

The evaluation profession is not immune to structural racism - but what can we do about it? Caldwell and Bledsoe propose systemic changes to our professional organizations in evaluation to help unravel these systems of oppression.

On a summer morning, after several attempts to interview clients for an evaluation project, I arrived with a social worker at an overnight shelter. Finally, we had located Jules, who wanted to share her experiences with the program I was learning about. When we approached her and her friends, we noticed that she was sipping from a bottle of vodka.

Recently we used outcome harvesting as part of a developmental evaluation. As with most developmental and participatory techniques, using this method was a bit time intensive, but the results were worth it! Here we share how we used the methodology and what we wished someone had told us before we started.

Time and time again, we hear of people going through an evaluation only to be disappointed that the findings didn’t give them the answers they wanted. So I’m going to share three ways we help clients use the results from our evaluations.

Evaluators need to write clearly for their work to be used. Although not preferable, the written evaluation report must stand on its own, clearly conveying the key findings and messages. The 9 mistakes below are ones that I’ve come across in my years of writing, editing, and reading evaluation reports.

Evaluations are inherently political, which means they are fraught with ethical choices and decisions along the way. There have been many instances throughout my career where I faced an ethical dilemma - here are some things that have helped me silence the devil on my left shoulder and figure out the right thing to do.

The process of writing an evaluation report is like cooking. It can be a joyful and meditative process for some and an annoying necessity for others. Both cooking and report writing take practice; the more you do them, the more you refine your processes and find your own groove. While there is no formula to create a perfect reporting process, there are some key steps that can set you up for success.

Through developing and delivering evaluation training, we know the value of short guides for translating concepts to practice. That’s why we developed this free resource that helps evaluators reflect on whether and how they are applying the Program Evaluation Standards developed by the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation.

We share the most salient points from a recent CES webinar about using art as a data collection method, presented by Jennica Nichols and Maya Lefkowich (of AND Implementation). Also, we expand upon how we've used arts-based data collection techniques here at Eval Academy and Three Hive Consulting and how we could be using them in the future.

Reflexivity often falls into that category of things we know we should be doing, but aren't really doing, or things we might be doing, but aren't so sure we're doing right. To try and ease your stress about reflexivity and to help guide your practice, we've compiled our best tips below.

Like Yoda, Michael Quinn Patton is revered for his wisdom and his power to inspire thinking differently about evaluation ideas. And while he isn’t a small, green humanoid alien there are striking similarities between the two (that go beyond the bald head and unique sweaters).

Have you ever been curious about what it is like to volunteer as an evaluator? Or are you considering a volunteer opportunity in the near future? This article aims to give you some insight into finding and engaging in a volunteer opportunity.

Whether due to global pandemics, restricted travel budgets, or stakeholders flung across the world, evaluators should be prepared to facilitate virtual meetings or sessions. We've taken the guesswork out of how to facilitate a great virtual session and have rounded up our best tips and tricks.

Up until one month ago my evaluation experience was firmly rooted in Canada. Like many young (ish) evaluators, I wanted to get international experience – more specifically I wanted to take on the challenge of doing evaluation work in a developing country. I would soon find out that I was incorrect in my optimism to copy and paste my evaluation perspective as well as my packing list.

So you landed an evaluation contract and the first meeting date is set. Here are some pointers for kicking your evaluation off on the right foot.

As independent evaluation consultants, we might find ourselves working in the “gig economy” – that thrilling and perilous world of odd jobs and short-term contracts (and best of all: freedom). Whether or not you participate in the gig economy, key to success for any consultant is branding: it’s how you tell the world who you are and the unique value you offer.

A business process is a set of tasks, including the staff and materials required, that is used again and again to accomplish a goal.

This article is about building and improving processes for your evaluation consulting business.