How Do You Feel About Evaluation?

If you ask people how they feel about evaluation, it can prompt responses that run from love to hate: people appreciate the information evaluations can provide, or they don’t see the benefits of them at all. We asked some of our members and stakeholders across the province how they feel about evaluation to give us some insight as we were getting ready for the Evaluation webinar series.

You may have seen the three short promotional videos that brought these responses to light. Here are the complete pieces that didn’t make the final cut, but they all represent important reactions to the evaluation process. PAN staff are performing; these quotes are gathered from stakeholders and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of PAN.

 

What Are the Benefits of Evaluation?

“It’s important to know our time and efforts are making the difference we want.”

 

“Evaluation helps use our resources in the best ways.”

 

“Evaluation let’s us know how to improve or make changes.”

 

“Evaluation records positive things that are happening in the community.”

 

“It helps us learn if we need to adapt things.”

 

“We gain more insight into impacts.”

 

“It helps us understand what we are trying to achieve.”

What Do You Hate About Evaluation?

“Data feels cold.”

 

“I don’t necessarily hate it…. ”

 

“The time!”

 

“It’s hard to trust the process.”

 

“What should we measure and how?”

 

“It takes time away from frontline services.”

 

“Evaluation can be intimidating and seen as punitive.”

 

“It’s not very useful.”

 

 

 

Image: Pixabay