Key considerations when doing evaluation

Frequently, evaluation is an after-thought. We need to re-imagine how we think about evaluation, not as something we have to do at the end of the project, but rather as something that helps us develop and strengthen our work and is incorporated throughout the program. It is useful to develop a research plan at the start of the project that includes evaluation and to continuously revisit the plan to ensure that the project is staying on track. As a best practice, evaluation should be integrated and ongoing throughout the stages of the strategy, as such evaluation should be considered during the planning and development stage and carried out through the activities all the way to post-programming. The people involved in designing the program also need to be designing the evaluation in such a way that it is coherent with the program’s values, methods, and approach.

There are rarely enough resources, funding, and staff allocations for programming that addresses gender-based sexual violence. This makes it all the more important that we evaluate to see which of our programs are most effective at addressing our stated objectives so that we can allocate our limited resources to the most effective strategies. Conducting evaluation enables us to share data about what works and what doesn’t. Maximizing limited resources is crucial as the consequences of gender-based sexual violence impact a wide range of issues on campus, including most notably the physical and mental health of students and staff, student success rates and overall perception of institutions.