A few years ago, we completed an evaluation for a breast cancer clinic. In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we thought we would highlight some excerpts from that report to help inspire your next evaluation report!

It is ideal to have a data dictionary whenever you have quantitative data that will be used and shared by multiple people or groups. Without precise definitions, it is very easy to arrive at different results while using the same dataset. In this article, we focus on how evaluators can (and should) clarify details about the data being used for evaluation. In other words, how and why build an evaluation-specific data dictionary.

When I hear “we need a dashboard,” what I hear is “we need relatively current information that we can quickly understand and trust, and we want it on one page.” But a dashboard may or may not be the best way to fulfill that need. Here, I’ll clarify what a dashboard is, and what it isn’t, then provide a checklist you can use to decide if your program or organization needs one.

You’ve just designed, implemented, and analyzed a client satisfaction survey. Trouble is: clients are not satisfied. Uh oh. No one likes to deliver bad news. However, there are some strategies that will help not only to soften the blow but to make this a rewarding experience.

Don’t get us wrong, surveys are useful tools and we’re a fan of any survey platform that makes it easier to use the results. But what about when you want to scratch beneath the surface or present a legible graph that will convince the program director or funder that action needs to be taken? This is where the canned survey tools start to falter.

In the past, I have been guilty of putting any and all data I could into a report. I’m talking pages of charts to show ALL the results. If I’m being honest, in some instances, I didn’t know what the point was. I put in as much detail as I could to shift the burden of deciphering the meaning behind the data to my reader.

A tutorial on creating column charts in Microsoft Excel. Learn the basics of creating and transforming your column charts into something clean, informative, and impactful.

This article explores how to make elements in your report pop using focal points - something that draws our readers to a specific element on a page. Create focal points to draw your audience’s attention to key takeaways in your reports.

Part 3 in this six-part series focuses on formatting your report by grouping and spacing elements in your report to enhance readability. Let’s dig a bit deeper into human perception and explore how simply arranging elements on a page can make all the difference when it comes to engaging your audience in your report.

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.

Data visualization is an effective approach for improved data comprehension. Seeing the data presented in a clear, concise fashion drives your overall message home much better than cluttered tables. In this article I outline seven simple tips that will help to improve your visuals.

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 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.

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.