Course 5: Evaluating Systems Change Interventions
Timeframe: 2 days
Learning Objectives: By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define “evaluation” and distinguish it from “research”
- Use a logic model to plan an evaluation
- Identify evaluation questions for a policy change project
- Identify an evaluation design for a policy change project
- Identify evaluation indicators for a policy change project
During this 2-day, skills-based workshop, participants learn to plan how to evaluate a systems-change project. The workshop will draw from both theory and practitioner expertise to provide concepts, tools, and skill practice. Participants will learn about evaluation designs and methods. They will consider when to conduct outcome monitoring versus outcome evaluation, especially when projects rely on evidence-based strategies promoted by the funder. Focusing the design will ultimately identify the “right fit” for the project. Participants practice designing an evaluation for a project, and then enhancing the evaluation plan when the project has the opportunity to scale up. Participants use a timeline activity to explore how systems-change evaluation has evolved over the past 30 years.