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STEP 3
Focus Evaluation Design
CDC framework for evaluation steps cycle graphic represents the steps and standards. The standards are utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy. The steps are "Engage Stakeholders", "Describe the Program", "Focus Evaluation Design", "Gather Credible Evidence", "Justify conclusions", and "Use and Share Lessons Learned". "Use and Share Lessons Learned" is highligted in the graphic.
Once you have a clear description of your program, you should focus on what you want to evaluate and how you want to evaluate it.
Focusing the evaluation design helps you match your specific evaluation questions with the appropriate methods for answering those questions.
Determine Evaluation Purpose
To select the best design for your evaluation, you must determine the purpose of your evaluation and the evaluation questions. The design depends on what question is being asked, who is asking the question, and what will be done with the information.
What is the purpose? Toward what end is the evaluation being conducted?
Who is the user? Who wants the info and what are they interested in?
What use will they make of the evaluation findings? How will they use them?
Identify Evaluation Questions
Identifying your specific evaluation questions can drive the evaluation design.
Consider the following as you prioritize your evaluation questions:
- Is the question appropriate for your program life cycle or stage and level of implementation of your efforts?
- Is the question clearly related to your logic model or aspects of your overall efforts?
- Is the number and complexity of the questions manageable?
- Will findings of this evaluation question be useful?
- Can we really answer this evaluation question?
For more information about uses and purposes of evaluation, download Identifying Evaluation Purpose and Questions worksheet.
Select an Evaluation Design
The design you select influences the timing of data collection, how you analyze the data, and the types of conclusions you can make from your findings.
The evaluation design you choose depends on:
What question is being asked
Who is asking the question
What will be done with the information
The field of program evaluation is diverse with many different approaches and methods.
Program evaluation often uses non-experimental or observation designs to examine outcomes at one or more timepoints among the population of focus.
For more information about different types of evaluation, download the Types of Evaluation tip sheet.
Considerations when Focusing the Evaluation Design
In relation to the Evaluation Framework Standards, ask yourself the following questions:
Utility
Will those who need the information from the evaluation be able to use it at this time?
Feasibility
Can the evaluation be carried out feasibly based on available resources, money, time, skill, and capacity at this time?
Propriety
Will the focus and design be able to adequately examine and detect unintended consequences and the experiences of those who are affected by the program at this time? Can we answer the evaluation questions ethically?
Accuracy
Is the evaluation approach and design appropriate and relevant to the program and its current state? Will answers to the evaluation questions reveal findings that are technically adequate?
Engaging Stakeholders at Step 3
Gather stakeholders’ input on potential uses of evaluation findings. Understanding who and how they will use the evaluation results will help you focus and prioritize what may be of interest at this time.
Obtain stakeholders’ feedback to help prioritize evaluation questions.
For more information about focusing evaluation design, see CDC PPEO’s information about Step 3.
CDC Framework for Evaluation Steps
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