Evaluation Flash Cards: Embedding Evaluative Thinking in Organizational Culture
Quick Overview
St. Paul, Minnesota: Otto Bremer Trust (2017), 28 pp.
"As part of our ongoing work to strengthen our support for communities, the trustees and staff of the Otto Bremer Trust engaged in a series of learning seminars on evaluation. In order to make the core concepts easily accessible and retrievable, we asked Michael Quinn Patton, who led the seminars, to create a set of basic reference cards. These became the Evaluation Flash Cards presented here, with the idea that a core concept can be revisited “in a flash.”
1 Evaluative Thinking: Distinguish Evalautive Thinking from Evaluation
2 Evaluation Questions: Begin with Basic Description
3 Logic Models: Models can be Displayed as a Series of Logical and Sequential Connections. Each Step in a Logic Model can be Evaluated
4 Theory of Change: Testing a Theory of Change can be an Important Contribution of Evaluation
5 Evaluation vs. Research: Evaluation and Research Have Different Primary Purposes, but the State of Research Knowledge affects what Evaluation can Contribute
6 Dosage: Different Degrees of Intervention and Engagement Produce Different Levels of Outcomes
7 Disaggregation: What Works for Whom in what Ways with what Results?
8 Changing Denominators, Changing Rates: Different Denominators Produce Different Results
9 Smart Goals: Not all Goals are Created Equal
10 Distinguishing Outcomes From indicators: Evaluation Depends on Important Distinctions. One Such Distinction is Outcomes vs. Indicators
11 Performance Targets: What's the Bull's-Eye?
12 Qualitative Evaluation: Qualitative Data Comes From Open-ended interviews, on-site Observations, Fieldwork, Site Visits, and Document Analysis
13 Triangulation Through Mixed Methods: Any Single Source of Data, Like Interviews, Focus Groups, or Surveys, has Both Strengths and Weaknesses
14 Important and Rigorous Claims of Effectiveness: Not all Findings are the Same. What's Worth Paying Attention to? What Matters Most?
15 Accountability Evaluation
16 Formative Evaluation
17 Summative Evaluation
18 Developmental Evaluation
19 The It Question: When We Say "It Works" or "It Doesn't Work," What's the It?
20 Fidelity or Adaptation: Different Approaches to Disseminating Models Require Different Evaluation Approaches
21 High-Quality Lessons Learned: Lessons can be Generated from All Kinds of Experiences and Data. High-Quality Lessons are Those that are Supported by Diverse Types of Evidence
22 Evaluation Quality Standards: Evaluation Can and Should be Evaluated. So What's a Good Evaluation?
23 Complete Evaluation Reporting: The Elements of a Comprehensive Evaluation Report
24 Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Make attention to Use the Driving Force Behind Every Decision in an Evaluation
25 Distinguish Different Kinds of Evidence: Evidence-Based Programs
2 Evaluation Questions: Begin with Basic Description
3 Logic Models: Models can be Displayed as a Series of Logical and Sequential Connections. Each Step in a Logic Model can be Evaluated
4 Theory of Change: Testing a Theory of Change can be an Important Contribution of Evaluation
5 Evaluation vs. Research: Evaluation and Research Have Different Primary Purposes, but the State of Research Knowledge affects what Evaluation can Contribute
6 Dosage: Different Degrees of Intervention and Engagement Produce Different Levels of Outcomes
7 Disaggregation: What Works for Whom in what Ways with what Results?
8 Changing Denominators, Changing Rates: Different Denominators Produce Different Results
9 Smart Goals: Not all Goals are Created Equal
10 Distinguishing Outcomes From indicators: Evaluation Depends on Important Distinctions. One Such Distinction is Outcomes vs. Indicators
11 Performance Targets: What's the Bull's-Eye?
12 Qualitative Evaluation: Qualitative Data Comes From Open-ended interviews, on-site Observations, Fieldwork, Site Visits, and Document Analysis
13 Triangulation Through Mixed Methods: Any Single Source of Data, Like Interviews, Focus Groups, or Surveys, has Both Strengths and Weaknesses
14 Important and Rigorous Claims of Effectiveness: Not all Findings are the Same. What's Worth Paying Attention to? What Matters Most?
15 Accountability Evaluation
16 Formative Evaluation
17 Summative Evaluation
18 Developmental Evaluation
19 The It Question: When We Say "It Works" or "It Doesn't Work," What's the It?
20 Fidelity or Adaptation: Different Approaches to Disseminating Models Require Different Evaluation Approaches
21 High-Quality Lessons Learned: Lessons can be Generated from All Kinds of Experiences and Data. High-Quality Lessons are Those that are Supported by Diverse Types of Evidence
22 Evaluation Quality Standards: Evaluation Can and Should be Evaluated. So What's a Good Evaluation?
23 Complete Evaluation Reporting: The Elements of a Comprehensive Evaluation Report
24 Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Make attention to Use the Driving Force Behind Every Decision in an Evaluation
25 Distinguish Different Kinds of Evidence: Evidence-Based Programs
