Key Elements of Evaluation Key Elements of Evaluation Evaluation is a process of asking good questions, gathering information to answer them and making decisions based on those answers. Evaluation is an essential component of effective decision making, whether it be strategic planning or the quiet decision making of daily organizational life. When evaluation is part of an organization's ongoing life, learning is valued because it provides the information necessary for continuous improvement. Evaluation is the responsibility of everyone.
Evaluation addresses the total system including internal effectiveness and external results.
Evaluation is a developmental process, not a report-card process. Evaluation occurs in an environment that is risk free as possible, where people can examine why something succeeded or failed without fear of negative consequences. To flourish, this vision of evaluation is promoted by an organization's leadership, who already nurture a climate of trust and who value feedback as a way to assess progress and enhance effectiveness. Evaluation invites collaboration within an organization and with external parties such as clients, donors, and grantees. Evaluation ideally employs tools and methodology that are accessible to organizations of all kinds and sizes.