How to Evaluate - York Consulting

Oldham and Rochdale HMREvaluation Techniques “How to Evaluate”- avoidance of a ‘blame culture’.Step 4: Collecting Evidence“Avoid information overload”2.35 All evaluation requires the generation and collection of evidence. This is thepart of the process where it is very easy to become overwhelmed in thepursuit of any and all types of information that might be relevant. Step 4builds on the processes you will have undertaken earlier in the developmentof the evaluation. We have outlined some key ideas about how to collectevidence and the different approaches used to do this.2.36 It is good practice to establish a monitoring and evaluation framework foryour project early at the project development/appraisal stage. A monitoringand evaluation framework will detail what outputs, outcomes, milestonesand data is to be collected, when is to be collected and by what evaluationmethod – e.g. primary research through telephone surveys with participants.In doing this the evaluation will be focused in on the data you wish to collect– for example the Cohesion Counts evaluation activity was focussed on theoverarching objectives which underpinned the projects.2.37 Data or information relating to the project falls into two generic categories –primary and secondary data.Primary data effectively has to be created and generated throughsurveys and consultation; for example the mood boards andquestionnaires used within the Cohesion Counts evaluation activity. Secondary data, or desk research, already exists in published reports, ,borough, area or national wide surveys, studies and databases, forexample the supporting information received for the Limeside andClarkwell Linking Communities project and the Philosophy for24