Program Evaluation Toolkit for Harm Reduction Organizations
As tempting as it may be (particularly when on a tight timeline), it is not recommended that you jump into drawing conclusions while you are still collecting data. Holding off on this part of the data analysis until after you complete your data collection effort helps ensure that incomplete or inaccurate data does not make its way into your final evaluation results.
Have you checked all of the boxes? Once you have reached the end of your data collection process, it can be helpful to briefly pause to assess your progress so far and ensure you have everything that you need to move forward. Below is a checklist that may serve as a helpful resource as you wrap up your data collection process and prepare for your analysis:
| All program data that is required for the evaluation has been collected. | |
| All the program data is digitally stored, organized, and clearly labeled in a shared location (e.g., Google Drive, Teams, shared drive). | |
| All members of the program and evaluation teams can access the program evaluation data. | |
| Where appropriate, all personally identifying information has been removed from the data that has been collected (e.g., participant names, addresses, contact information). | |
| If applicable, all audio recordings from interviews and focus groups have been digitally transcribed and saved in the shared location. |
Who will lead your analysis? If you have not already determined who on the team will take the lead on analyzing the data, this is a good time to do so. Ideally, the person(s) leading this effort should be able to navigate the existing platforms where the data is housed and feel comfortable conducting basic qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Will you need additional support? Similarly, you may find at this point that it is worthwhile to explore low or no cost external support to aid your data analysis effort. Local colleges and universities have been known to offer free evaluation support to small harm reduction organizations, as do several national drug user health, HCV, and HIV capacity building providers.
To learn about the availability of low or no cost evaluation capacity-building assistance, visit:
