Carefully consider the planning and evaluation cycle (see Figure 11-1 on page 265 BELOW). Start at the beginning of the cycle, and explain at what points in the cycle you would seek stakeholder involvement. Then, discuss two specific strategies for how you would facilitate their active involvement in the development of an evaluation plan. Be sure to align the strategies identified with the criteria for developing a good evaluation question.

In the daily work of implementing a program, evaluation of intervention effects can seem like a luxury. The reality is that conducting an evaluation whose purpose is to identify whether the intervention had an effect requires considerable forethought regarding a broad range of issues, each of which has the potential to detract seriously from the credibility of the evaluation.

The intervention effect evaluation deserves the same degree of attention during program planning as does development of the program interventions; ideally, it should be designed concurrently with the program. All too often, attention is focused on developing the evaluation only after the goals and objectives are finalized and the program is up and running. Well-articulated program outcome goals and outcome objectives facilitate development of the evaluation, but insights about the program process can be gained from developing an evaluation plan.
As highlighted in the planning and evaluation cycle (FIGURE 11-1), the planning and decisions about the effect evaluation should occur as the program is being developed.

FIGURE 11-1 Planning and Evaluation Cycle, with Effect Evaluation Highlights

The contents of this chapter address the broad areas of data collection and evaluation rigor within the context of the program theory and feasibility considerations. The information presented on designs and sampling is not intended to duplicate the extensive treatment of research methods and statistics provided in research textbooks. Instead, basic research content is presented as the background for the problems commonly encountered in conducting a health program evaluation, and practical suggestions are provided for minimizing those problems. Because the focus here is on practical solutions to real problems, the suggestions offered in this chapter may differ from those usually found in research and statistics textbooks. Nonetheless, good research methods and statistics textbooks are invaluable resources and references that should be on the bookshelf of every program evaluator.

Planning the evaluation begins with selecting the evaluation questions and then developing the details of the evaluation implementation plan, similar to the details of the program organization plan. Aspects of the evaluation plan related to data collection—namely, levels of measurement and levels of analysis, as well as techniques to collect data—are discussed next. These elements of evaluations are closely aligned with research methodology, and achieving scientific rigor is the first yardstick used when planning the intervention effect evaluation.

Addressing the following:
• Identify one of the four criteria from your reading above for developing a good evaluation question.
• In thinking about stakeholder involvement in this process, discuss the relationship between this criterion and cross-culturally appropriate instrument development. That is, what are the benefits of a culturally appropriate evaluation question and plan? What are the detriments when the question and plan are not culturally appropriate?