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STEP 4
Gather Credible Evidence
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.
To complete Step 4, it’s important that you have a clear picture of the outcomes you are focusing on as well as the evaluation questions you are trying to answer.
Consider focusing only on the data that are needed to answer your evaluation questions and data that will be credible to your stakeholders.
Identify Potential Data Sources and Indicators
There are many types and sources of data.
One isn’t necessarily better than the other and you can pick and choose indicators, data, and trends most relevant for your program and context. An indicator is a documentable or measurable piece of information (for example, conditions, outcomes, or results) from a data source, regarding some aspect of the program being evaluated.
Indicators can:
Help operationalize your outcomes and process
Quantify and compare data across settings
Provide a basis to assess progress
Identify risk and protective factors and patterns of violence in your community
Indicators may be available from a wide range of data sources. Keep in mind that using public or secondary data can save resources, time, and effort.
For more information about potential data sources, download the Evaluation Data Sources worksheet.
Finalize a Set of Indicators
One indicator or data source is unlikely to fully answer an evaluation question or tell your whole story.
A set of indicators from a variety of sources will help strengthen your evaluation. Using data from multiple sources can help improve understanding and increase the credibility of the evaluation findings. It can also help you make comparisons and identify trends.
As you are deciding between potential indicators, consider the following questions:
- Does this indicator correspond to the program activities (process indicators) or outcomes (outcome indicators)?
- Is the indicator clear and specific to what it is supposed to measure?
- Is the indicator feasible to measure or track?
- Is the indicator available within the appropriate timeframe or frequency for the evaluation?
- Is the indicator culturally appropriate, relevant, and ethical to your stakeholders?
For a set of worksheets that will help you select a specific set of indicators, use Violence Prevention in Practice’s Indicator Selection Tools.
Create a Plan to Gather Indicator Data
Once you have identified the set of indicators and data sources you will be using, it can be helpful to create a data collection plan. This plan can help organize the activities around data collection and can be updated as changes in data collection strategies or availability occur.
For data collection considerations and a template to help you manage your data collection, download the Data Collection Considerations worksheet.
Considerations when Gathering Credible Evidence
In relation to the Evaluation Framework Standards, ask yourself the following questions:
Utility
Are the methods and sources appropriate to your intended purpose, users, and use?
Feasibility
Are the methods and sources consistent with your available resources, time, expertise, and capacity?
Propriety
Are the methods and sources appropriate to the culture and characteristics of your population of focus or community?
Accuracy
Are the methods and sources consistent with the nature of the problem, sensitive of the issue, and the current state and point in the life of your program?
Engaging Stakeholders at Step 4
Obtain stakeholders’ input on method or data options. They may know which methods will work best with some participants, help provide access to participants, or help with data collection.
Talk with evaluation stakeholders to understand what they view as credible evidence:
- Do stakeholders find the data appropriate, useful, and credible?
- Can they use it to make decisions or act upon it?
- How would different stakeholders use it or view it, do they find it compelling?
- Do stakeholders think that the criteria used to judge the success of the program or indicators, meaningfully address the evaluation questions?
For more information about gathering credible evidence, see CDC PPEO’s information about Step 4.
CDC Framework for Evaluation Steps
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