In general, evaluation processes go through four distinct phases: planning, implementation, completion, and reporting. While these mirror common program development steps, it is important to remember that your evaluation efforts may not always be linear, depending on where you are in your program or intervention.
Planning
The most important considerations during the planning phase of your project evaluation are prioritizing short and long-term goals, identifying your target audience(s), determining methods for collecting data, and assessing the feasibility of each for your target audience(s).
Implementation
This is the carrying out of your evaluation plan. Although it may vary considerably from project to project, you will likely concentrate on formative and process evaluation strategies at this point in your efforts.
Completion
Upon completion of your program, or the intermediate steps along the way, your evaluation efforts will be designed to examine long term outcomes and impacts, and summarize the overall performance of your program.
Reporting and Communication
In order to tell your story effectively, it's critical for you to consider what you want to communicate about the results or processes of your project, what audiences are most important to communicate with, and what are the most appropriate methods for disseminating your information.
