Program Evaluation Toolkit for Harm Reduction Organizations
Every bit of information that is documented, created, or collected as a part of your harm reduction program can be considered a potential evaluation data source. In essence, a data source is the place where the data that you plan to use is located or comes from. Your data source can consist of existing data, be comprised of data that will need to be collected for your evaluation, or be a combination of both.
WHAT IS A DATA SOURCE?
A data source is an entity that provides information that has been collected in a systemic way.
It is helpful to think of data sources as entities that fall into one of the following three categories:
Data gathered from people refers to information that comes directly from the individuals who benefit from or contribute to your harm reduction program. This includes your program participants, program staff, community partners, the general public, and even funders. Information gathered from people is often collected using forms or surveys, or by conducting interviews.
Document-specific data refers to any information that has been captured, or is routinely captured, as a part of the normal operations of the program. This can include data found in sign-in sheets, enrollment forms, or needs assessments. Keep in mind, the data’s source is different from the data’s format, so while you may be copying intake data from a paper form into a computer, the participant is still the source of the data.
Lastly, data collected through observations refers to information that is collected (often by program staff) that summarizes an event or interaction that has occurred. While observations can and should serve as a synopsis of the events and exchanges that take place, they should not attempt to speak to the thoughts or feelings of program participants (this information should instead be captured by a survey or interview). Examples of observation data are program case notes, meeting notes, event notes, and incident reports.
