Case Study 2: Evaluating a School-based Alcohol Education Program (continued)

Phase 3: Reporting and Dissemination

Analysis of Findings

The purpose of the analysis phase is to transform the collected data into credible evidence about the development of the program and its performance. This process usually includes the following steps:

·         Organizing the data for analysis (i.e., data preparation)

·         Describing the data (e.g., generating findings of facts)

·         Interpreting the data (e.g., assessing the findings against the evaluation criteria)

Collating and analyzing qualitative data can be a challenge. The following guidelines may be helpful:

·         Write up interviews and focus group discussions regularly and quickly (e.g., at the end of each day)

·         Conduct regular analysis, combining data into key points

·         Involve the whole team during the analysis process

·         Use examples to illustrate key findings

·         Use tables, photos, and other visual means to present key findings

Final Report

A well structured report should present findings in a clear and interesting way. At a minimum, it should include the following:

·         The executive summary, presenting the main findings of the evaluation

·         Overviews of the purpose of the evaluation and how it was carried out

·         A clear explanation of the methodology used, including data collection methods

·         Findings, usually linked to particular objectives against which performance is assessed

·         Conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations

·         Annexes, including, for example, the Terms of Reference, a list of people interviewed, and a list of documents reviewed (a brief overview of what can be included in the Terms of Reference is provided in Section 3.2: Planning an Evaluation)

Dissemination Strategy

It is important to decide on the number and type of outputs expected from the onset of the evaluation (e.g., a report and a summary brochure). More than one format may be required depending on which audiences will be targeted with the information. For example, a comprehensive report may be suitable for donors, while a more concise brochure to raise awareness of activities may be sufficient for target beneficiaries or others.

Especially when the target audience is the scientific community and the evaluation is to be used to help build the evidence base around particular types of interventions, data need to be carefully collected, analyzed, and presented so they will withstand scientific scrutiny. Additional statistical analysis may be required.

There are various possible audiences for sharing the results, and they will shape the dissemination strategy:

·         Sharing findings in a meeting with a reference group of stakeholders

·         Distributing report through conference presentations

·         Highlighting the key findings in newsletters and other publications

·         Publishing journal articles (each journal will have its own guidelines and requirements)

·         Posting links to your report on relevant websites

·         Targeted e-mails and posts on social networking sites

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