Reporting and Using Evaluation Results

Presented on 6/18/15
Learning objectives

By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of communicating and 

disseminating evaluation results to stakeholders. 

• Write an evaluation report and become familiar with other 

key reporting tools. 

• Determine meaningful programmatic changes based on 

evaluation findings, and learn how to implement them
What you’ve done and what’s left to do

Evaluation is:

• Part of the culture of a 

learning organization

• An investment in program 

improvement 

• A tool for building a 

program’s evidence base

 

Planning 

Implementation

Analysis 

and 

Reporting

Action and 

Improvement
Purpose of reporting

Reporting:

1. Completes the evaluation process by documenting 

work done and lessons learned

2. Provides an opportunity for reflection and learning, 

generating ideas for program improvement

3. Monitors and tracks progress in strengthening 

program

a. Demonstrates accountability to stakeholders

4. Communicates accomplishments and what the 

program does 

 
Basic steps of reporting

Assess 

information 

needs and 

reporting 

requirements

Develop 

reporting 

products

Disseminate 

your products

Ensure and 

support use 

of findings by 

stakeholders
Step one: assess needs and requirements 

Assess 

information 

needs and 

reporting 

requirements

Develop 

reporting 

products

Disseminate 

your products

Ensure and 

support use 

of findings by 

stakeholders
Assess needs and requirements

• How will reporting meet the needs of intended 

users?

• Are there reporting requirements stipulated by 

funders? 
Dissemination plans

• Develop a dissemination plan

• Organizational tool that visually lays out 

information needs, products, timelines, 

priorities, and roles and responsibilities

• Begin development early on in the evaluation 

process!

• Can use to build products into an external 

evaluator’s contract
Create a dissemination plan

• Elements of a dissemination plan:

1. Who (stakeholders) 

2. Needs what (information) 

a. Is it required?

3. By what time (timeframe)

4. In what order of importance (priority) 

5. In what format (product/mode) 

6. Who is responsible (creator/distributor) 

• Think proactively about what information 

stakeholders could use! 
Facilitated example #1: dissemination 

plan

*See pre-work handout or annotated example impact evaluation plan on the Evaluation 

Resources page for context for the example. 

Stakeholder

Information 

Needed Requirement?

Timeframe 

or Deadline Priority Product Format Responsible Staff Resources?

Follow-up Action, 

Monitoring

AmeriCorps 

program

Evidence for 

intervention 

to support 

financial 

investment Yes

Recompetit

ionDecember, 

2017 High

Final 

evaluatio

n report

Written 

report, 

PDF;

Final Evaluation 

Report: External 

evaluator; 

dissemination: staff 

grant writer

$5,000 for external 

evaluator for final 

evaluation report

Work w/ CNCS R&E 

office to complete 

summary brief and 

post on Evidence 

Exchange; Discuss 

results with program 

officer 
Step two: develop reporting products

Assess 

information 

needs and 

reporting 

requirements

Develop 

reporting 

products

Disseminate 

your products

Ensure and 

support use 

of findings by 

stakeholders
Types of reporting products

The basic types of reporting products are:

• Written products

• Presentations

• Visuals and graphics

• Supplementary social media and creative 

products (e.g. photo-reporting) 

 
Written products

• Written products are composed of textual 

descriptions and recommendations about the 

evaluation and its findings

• At minimum, you should create a comprehensive 

evaluation report 

• Derivative products can be created from this report
Written products (cont.)

• Other written products may be derived from the 

evaluation report or interim reports. These 

include: 

• Executive summaries

• Memos and short communication pieces

• Briefs: technical, practitioner focused, policy, etc. 

• Academic papers or conference papers, white 

papers, working papers

• Other: interim reports, press releases and media 

documents, newsletters, blog posts
Elements of an evaluation report

A complete evaluation report contains:

1. Introduction to the project

2. Description of evaluation design and 

methods

3. Statement of findings and results
The evaluation report: introduction

Introduction to the evaluation project: 

• Describe the evaluation’s purpose and research questions 

• Give background on the program and its theory of change, with 

extra detail about the component being evaluated

• Identify the target population under study

• Review past relevant research and evaluation

• Outline the structure of the following report sections 
The evaluation report: design and methods

Description of the evaluation design and methods

• Describe the evaluation approach being used (i.e. 

process, impact), and explain rationale for choice 

• Describe the evaluation design (e.g. pre/post-test with 

comparison group, case study)

• List and describe your data sources (e.g. administrative 

records) 

• Describe the data collection methods used

• Describe study limitations and strengths 
The evaluation report: findings

State findings and results

• Describe the results of all analyses conducted

• Use technical appendices for additional analyses, results, 

and supplemental data 

• Label all charts, tables, and graphs 
Important considerations when writing a 

quality evaluation report

Ensure credibility

• Discuss study limitations 

• Discuss generalizability 

• Discuss negative or null findings 

• Hold interpretations, recommendations until end of report
Other products

• Presentations- poster, PowerPoint, and webinar

– Community meetings, conference presentations, and 

panels

• Visuals and graphics 

• Social media and creative products

• Public use datasets 
Step three: disseminate your products

Assess 

information 

needs and 

reporting 

requirements

Develop 

reporting 

products

Disseminate 

your products

Ensure and 

support use 

of findings by 

stakeholders
Step four: ensure and support use of 

findings

Assess 

information 

needs and 

reporting 

requirements

Develop 

reporting 

products

Disseminate 

your products

Ensure and 

support use 

of findings by 

stakeholders
Using evaluation results for action and 

improvement

• You’ve completed your evaluation report, but what 

do the results mean in practice? How do these 

results translate into actions?

• Take your findings and make them actionable!

– Identify program components that are working well

– Identify program components that need to be improved

– Develop and implement an action plan for improvement
Identify program components to be 

improved

• Pair results to the relevant research question:

– Did anything surprise you?

– Any interesting or confusing patterns and trends?

– Revisit logic model and theory of change

– Conduct additional analyses of the data if necessary

• Decide whether or not enough evidence exists to 

justify a program improvement

• Suggest possible improvements, actions, or 

changes
Developing and implementing an action 

plan for program improvement

• Develop an action plan for implementing change

– Changes may include: the program design; how a 

program is implemented; how services are delivered; the 

staff, etc.

• Specify the logistics

– Who will carry out these improvements? 

– By when they will take place, and for how long?

– What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed to carry 

out these changes?

– Who can be an advocate or partner in change?

 
Thinking about the future

Evaluations pay dividends long after they are 

completed. An evaluation will:

• Build your program’s evidence base

• Contribute to a long term research agenda

• Facilitate continuous improvement and develop as a 

learning organization
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: 

clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures 

data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements

Positive, 

significant 

difference 

between 

treatment and 

control group

Clients are 

making progress 

in solving 

financial problem 

6 mos. post 

program
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements

Member activity 

logs show high 

level of 

consistency in 

type, duration, 

and quantity of 

service being 

provided by 

members

Findings 

triangulated with 

performance 

measures data
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements

Findings align 

with program as 

described in logic 

model and theory 

of change
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements

Think about 

next evaluation: 

fidelity study

Enhance 

dissemination 

plan

All site training 

day
Facilitated example #2: using results of an 

impact evaluation

Positive RCT 

findings: clients 

improve 

compared to 

comparison 

group

Consult 

document 

review, 

performance 

measures data

Compare 

results to logic 

model, theory 

of change to 

determine 

improvements

Plan for and 

enact 

improvements

Continuous 

improvement

Increase 

evidence 

base

Serve more 

people, 

better
Important points to remember 

• Reporting should include a variety of different 

products, for different audiences.

• Create a dissemination plan early on in the 

evaluation process

• Ensure credibility and objectivity in the evaluation 

report

• Review results to identify areas for improvement, 

and create a plan for implementing change
Resources on evaluation

Go to the Evaluation Resources Page on 

Nationalservice.gov/resources for more information:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/evaluation

• Community Toolbox: Using Evaluation to Understand and Improve the 

Initiative http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation-tounderstand-and-improve 

• UNEG Quality Checklist for Evaluation Reports 

https://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite

/about_iom/eva_techref/UNEG_Eval_Report.pdf 

• Disseminating Evaluation Findings

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief9.pdf

• Using Evaluation to Understand and Improve the Initiative 

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation-to-understandand-improve

• Using Policy Evaluation Results

http://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/policy/Brief%207-a.pdf 
Questions?