Evaluating projects

The evaluation chart will help you decide on the most appropriate methods for assessing the achievement of an objective or an intermediate target. The systematic assessment of results will help you in the management of your project and will provide evidence of success. The chart also provides space for additional questions to do with evaluation. Questions regarding evaluation type, data collection methods, time frames and assignment of responsibilities will be determined on the basis of this document.

Usually, some evaluation measures are sketched out during the planning and design phase of a project. The evaluation plan allows a more detailed presentation of these measures. An evaluation plan is particularly helpful, and recommended, if a large evaluation is envisaged and if many questions regarding evaluation are left open in the project design. If an external organization is to be entrusted with the evaluation, an evaluation plan is compulsory – as a basis for discussion and for quotes. Pondering evaluation questions is helpful for clarifying one’s own expectations and for developing new and interesting lines of thought. Even if one is unfamiliar with evaluation, it makes sense to start thinking about possible evaluation methods. External evaluation experts can help to choose the best methodology for obtaining answers to the evaluation questions.

The Swiss Model for Outcome Classification in Health Promotion and Prevention (SMOC) is a tool which may be used for analysis and quality development. In order to exploit its full potential, it should not be used by the project manager or evaluator alone, but should be used collectively e.g. in a meeting of the entire project team, or between the evaluators and key project members, etc. Generally speaking, the SMOC can be used to analyse a situation, to plan an intervention and to evaluate a measure.

Criteria are required for a systematic projectand program quality assessment. The criteria that are presented in this document have been developed for intervention projects in health promotion and prevention but can be applied to other projects.