Evaluation
DPCD has developed an approach to evaluation to assist you showcase your achievements and help make your program better. It can become one of the most rewarding aspects of your job because it is where you see the results of your work.This site takes you step-by-step through the process of designing an evaluation so you can assess whether your project or program has met its objectives and achieved its desired outcomes.
Evaluating your program may seem like a daunting prospect. The key to the process is planning and the best people to undertake this task are the people that know the program best – you and your team.
How to …
The evaluation process has been broken down into four key stages – Thinking, Planning, Collecting and Communicating.At each stage you will find a number of steps to complete, along with worksheets, examples and a checklist. You should read through the steps, complete the worksheets, and then use the checklist to confirm that you are ready to move on to the next stage.
Throughout the process you will also find a number of points where you can opt to contract out your evaluation. These points will link you to a Contracting page to assist you in this process.
Thinking
Steps 1-3 start the process by helping you to think about what you want to get out of your evaluation.
Planning
Steps 4-7 assist you in developing an Evaluation Plan that will guide all your evaluation activities.
Collecting
Steps 8-10 will help you to collect the information you need, develop your budget and timelines and consider the relevant privacy and ethical issues surrounding your evaluation.
Communicating
Step 11 helps to you to ensure that your evaluation results are utilised.
Contracting
Additional information on getting the most out of a contractor.
More information
- DPCD Evaluations
- Evaluation Step-by-Step Guide (PDF 553 KB) or (Word 1073 KB). If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, please telephone Jeanette Pope on (03) 9208 3849 or email jeanette.pope@dpcd.vic.gov.au.
- Evaluating Community Arts and Community Well Being provides a simple, step by step approach to evaluating arts based projects.
- The Department of Treasury and Finance’s Guide to Evaluation provides a practical framework and some key principles for planning and implementing effective evaluations.
- The Australian Evaluation Society provides a variety of information for evaluation practitioners, including a list of consultants.