Evaluation Report and Dissemination

Evaluation report and
dissemination
PPM 8231: Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano
Email: charleswachira62@gmail.com, wachira@amoud.edu.so
The value of a written report
• Reasons why an evaluation report is important
• It provides a written history of the project which can be referred to easily and quickly
• It serves as a record of why certain changes were made after the evaluation.
• It provides means to compare findings between this and the future evaluations you may conduct.
• It allows new staff who joined the project to learn quickly about what happened during the
implementation and the results.
• It enables you to give a written account or summary of the findings to people who may be
interested in the project.
Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 2
Content of a Good M&E Report
Outline:
• Findings
• Title
• Discussion
• Table of Contents
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• Recommendations
• Executive Summary
• References
• Introduction • Appendices
• Project Rationale & Logic
• Project Description
• Evaluation methods
Title:
• Choose a title that is descriptive of your project keeping your main audience in mind.
Title Page:
• - Name of report
• - Name and address of the report
• - Time-period covered by the evaluation
• - The date the report was completed
• - The name of the author of the report.

Table of Contents:
• It contains the list of items/sections of the report and their respective page numbers.
• It helps the readers to quickly find the information they want.
Introduction:
• It introduces the initiative being evaluated and the context in which it too place.
• Briefly describe the geographical, socio-economic, political, environmental and historical
context that are relevant to your initiative.
• The context is critical to the understanding of the evaluation report.

Executive Summary:
• This will be useful for people, including funders, politicians and policy makers, who
have very little time to read but need to know about your work.
• It is one of the most important parts of the report since many people only read the
summary. Others read it first so as to decide if the rest of the report contains
relevant information.
• It should be written after the rest of the report has been finalized.
• The summary should be one to two pages long.
Executive Summary Continued:
• It contains the following information:
• Purpose of the evaluation
• Brief description of the report
• Who did the report and how
• Important results
• Main conclusions
• All recommendations
Project Rationale and Logic:
• This aspect of evaluation is often taken for granted by people running projects since they assume
that outsiders would have this knowledge. In fact it is a crucial aspect of building the evidence
base for effectiveness.
• Describe the issue and why it was selected. Show why it was important.
• Outline what is known about the issue.
• Explain why you have chosen to tackle the issue in the way you have.
• Describe the overall goal of the project i.e. what you are trying to achieve and why you think your
approach will work.
• Draw on literature, previous experience and practice knowledge.
Description of the Project:
• A full description of the initiative allows someone who was not involved to get a good idea of what was done. Include the
following:
• The issue and how it was addressed
• Overall goal and specific objectives of the initiative
• Whom the initiative was aimed at
• What services and activities took place
• Who was involved in providing the services/activities and involvement of other organizations and sectors
• Ways stakeholders were involved
• Cost of the project (staff, implementation etc)
• If and how the initiative was planned to tackle equity of access to services.

Evaluation Methods:
• This section enables the reader to judge how accurate the findings of the evaluation are likely to be:
Include the following information:
• Full description of the evaluation methods (e.g. Focus Groups, self-completion questionnaires, face to
face interviews, observation)
• Who participated in the evaluation (numbers & characteristics) and details of any sampling undertaken
• Description of the attempts to follow up people who did not respond to the data collection method.
• How data was analyzed
• Strengths and weaknesses of the chosen methods.
Results/Findings:
• This section presents results in both quantitative and qualitative form
• Divide the results into process (e.g. attendance, satisfaction) and outcomes (e.g.
changes in participants knowledge, skills, behaviour).
• Present quantitative data in tables and chart
• Present qualitative data as narrative themes. Use quotes to illustrate key themes and
allow the voices of people who were part of the evaluation to be heard but also
consider the confidentiality of your informants.

Results/Findings continued:
• Where relevant report on the following:
• Extent and quality of stakeholder participation
• Extent and quality of collaboration and partnership
• Any unexpected outcomes

Discussion:
• Reflect on the broader lessons from the evaluation and make recommendations on
the basis of the findings.
• Recommendations identify what was successful and should be maintained or
expanded and also where improvement/changes are necessary.
• Discuss each objective in light of the findings relating to them and describe your
achievements.
• Consider the outcomes in relation to the cost i.e. VfM, benefit of the investment.
Discussion continued:
• Describe what the findings imply for project implementation, redirection,

funding and expansion as appropriate.
• Address the question of what the evaluation suggests should change.
• List each recommendation with an explanation linked to the findings and
identify who has main responsibility for action.

Conclusion:
• This section is short and is used to reinforce the main messages from your
evaluation.
• Summarize what the evaluation has found

Recommendations:
• Discuss all what you find important to be initiated in the project
• Discuss what should be changed in the project.
• Make the reader to know why you make such recommendations
• Remember to follow the findings as they appear in the report as you make
your recommendations.

Acknowledgements:
• Thank all the people who were involved in the evaluation, including
respondents and external players such as a funding body.
• NB:
• Acknowledgements can be at the front (preliminary page) or at the end of
the report.

References:
• List all the references in a specific style. E.g.
• Hatry, H. P. (1999). Performance measurement: Getting results. Washington, D.C.:
The Urban Institute Press.
• Khan, M. A. (2001). A Guidebook on results-based monitoring and evaluation: Key
concepts, issues and applications. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Monitoring and Progress
Review Division, Ministry of Plan Implementation, Government of Sri Lanka.
• Kusek, J. Z. & R. C. Rist. (2001). Building a performance-based monitoring and evaluation
system: The challenges facing developing countries. Evaluation Journal of Australasia,
1(2), 14–23.

Appendices:
• Include additions/annexes which contain additional information that some readers
might want such as:
• A list of official community leaders who may have been interviewed as part of the
evaluation
• Include data collection instruments that were used.
• Include tables, diagrams and statistical information that were too long to be put in
the main document etc.

Dissemination
Data Use and Dissemination Plans

Data Use and Dissemination Plans
Packaging the Results:
• Choosing the right information for the right audience requires:
• Defining goals
• Defining the audience
• Finding out what influences their thinking
• Use the data to address their concerns
• Using the right language
• Getting the length right
• Choosing the best messenger
• Timing it right.
Packaging the Results
• Defining the goal:
• Establish the main goal for the report and the dissemination.
• What do you want to use data for? Is it to get more funding?
• Is it get the government and the beneficiary support? Etc

Packaging the Results continued
• Define the audience:

• Establish who they are. E.g.
• Beneficiaries, Implementers, Policy makers, Donors etc
• Each of these audience categories may need to be approached differently
and may need different presentation modalities of the report.

• Find out what influences their thinking:

• The best communication happens when people have something in common.
• Therefore, understanding the concerns, motivations and objectives of each
audience is quite important.

Using data to address their concerns:

• The true art of using data is in finding ways to use that data that address the
particular concerns of the target audience. E.g.
• Ministry of Health-planning how to provide care to lactating mothers
• Chamber of Commerce-interested in the impact of HIV or COVID-19 on the
labour force.
NB:
• The same data can be used to address the concerns of these two audiences but has
to be expressed differently.
Use the right language:

• Establishing the language that will captivate the audience matters a lot.
• Addressing them in the language they can identify with appeals to them
more.
NB:
• The same language may be used but it should be packaged differently when
addressing different audience groups.
Get the right length:

• A report is valueless if no one reads or listens to it. The right length of the
document is quite important.
• The audience is more likely to digest the information presented in one page
length document or a short brochure.
• It is important to choose the best knowledge product also. E.g. brochure, CD
etc.

Choose the best messenger:

• People listen to people they trust.
• Every audience trust different people sometimes their peers, leaders etc.
• Then the messenger can be as important as the message
E.g.
• To students use their leaders, lecturers or heads of the institutions
• To the community, use clan elders or community leaders etc.

Time it right:
• Timing is everything
• To get people’s attention time it right e.g. Use well known events like
International/African Children’s Day etc which generate use interest among the
public and may involve senior government people.
NB:
• Avoid clashing with important events that will lessen attention to your
presentation/message.
• Tell the right story at the right time in a narrative form.

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Evaluation report and

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 4

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 5

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 9

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 11

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 12

• Describe what the findings imply for project implementation, redirection,

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 14

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 15

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 16

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 17

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 18

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 19

Data Use and Dissemination Plans

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 20

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 22

• Define the audience:

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 23

• Find out what influences their thinking:

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 24

Using data to address their concerns:

Use the right language:

Get the right length:

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 27

Choose the best messenger:

Course Instructor: Charles W. Gathano, Email: charles wachira62@gmail.com 28

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