Program Evaluation Toolkit for Harm Reduction Organizations
Once you have completed your analysis and documented your qualitative and quantitative findings, the next step is to pull all the information together into a program evaluation report. The purpose of this report is to document the purpose, process, and results of your program evaluation effort so that it can be referenced and, if needed, shared with others. Specifically, evaluation reports speak to:
Table (5.1). The table below outlines the structure of a typical program evaluation report:
| REPORT SECTION | WHAT IS IT? | ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | Summarizes the purpose, key findings, and conclusion of your evaluation effort. | This, plus the Table of Contents, should be the last sections you complete to ensure they provide an accurate summary of the information included in the report. The executive summary is typically no longer than 1-3 pages. |
| Table of Contents | Lists the headings, subheadings, and page numbers within the report. | The Table of Contents can be any length and should include, at minimum, accurate headers and page numbers. It should be one of the last sections you complete, along with the Executive Summary. |
| Introduction and Background | Provides an overview of the purpose of the evaluation and your evaluation questions. This section can also include a brief overview of your harm reduction program. | Keeping this section short and concise is key. Avoid incorporating a lengthy overview of your program. |
| Methods | Offers an overview of the evaluation methods used. Can also include elements of your evaluation plan such as your logic model and timeline. | It is important to share the things that did not go as planned and how those elements influenced the evaluation results, if at all. This level of transparency will help to contextualize the findings. |
| Findings | Summarizes your data and data analysis efforts and assesses how well your harm reduction program has met its intended goals. | It is helpful to meet with members of the program team to discuss the findings, recommendations and proposed next steps prior to finalizing these sections in the report. This not only can help to generate awareness and buy-in among staff of the significance of the evaluation, but can also help to promote accountability when it comes to carrying out the action items. |
| Conclusions and Next Steps | Includes the main takeaways from the program evaluation findings and any recommendations for next steps. | When writing the next steps section (e.g., developing the action items that will support the implementation of key recommendations), keep in mind that the actions should be specific, measurable, realistic and timebound. |
Here are some helpful tools on how to develop an evaluation report:
Once your evaluation report is complete you can begin the process of sharing, or using, your evaluation results. To start, it’s helpful to identify who your target audience(s) will be.
