REPORTING.ppt

CONFERENCE EVALUATIONREPORTING The written report is often the “main” output of your evaluation so it needs time and attention Consider other alternatives to the written report: Powerpoint summary Summary tables/scorecards/flyers Video or multimedia presentation Ultimately the report’s usefulness will depend upon the promotional activities you undertake REPORTING – BEST PRACTICES Suggested structure for your report: Table of contents / acknowledgements Executive summary Introduction Evaluation methodology (short description) About the conference and participants Findings: objective 1, objective 2, objective 3, etc. Conclusions Recommendations Annexes: methodology (detailed), survey used, persons interviewed, extra analysis by demographics, main documents consulted, etc. REPORTING – BEST PRACTICES REPORTING – BEST PRACTICES A Good Evaluation Report is… A Weak Evaluation Report is… ? Impartial ? Credible ? Balanced ? Clear and easy to understand ? Information rich ? Action oriented and crisp ? Focused on evidence that supports conclusions ? Repetitious ? Too long ? Unclear and unreadable ? Insufficiently action oriented ? Lacking hard data and relying on opinion ? Poorly structured and lacking focus on key findings ? Lacking comprehension of the local context ? Negative or vague in its findings  Telling – Showing - Telling Use tables and graphs to explain complex data Use quotes or mini-case studies of participants to highlight and reinforce points made Highlight important points with boxes, different type sizes, and bold or italic type – but don’t overdo it! Consider using a professional graphic designer to produce a more readable and attractive report When writing up individual findings chapters, consider developing a “storyline” per chapter: REPORTING – CREATING THE REPORT Telling: you make a point: “Conference participants found the workshops the most valuable format of the conference. ” 2. Showing: you illustrate your point