This is an Eval Central archive copy, find the original at evalacademy.com.

A blank page can intimidate any writer. The same goes for evaluators – that “evaluation questions” column in your evaluation plan may be daunting. Looking at examples of real-world evaluation questions just might inspire your own.

We’ve already covered how to write good evaluation questions. As a quick reminder, your evaluation questions should be developed collaboratively and be open-ended. You can look to strategic plans or relevant quality frameworks for thematic guidance. Most importantly, be sure to edit until you’re sure the language is just right.

The examples below are grouped by content area, but with slight changes, can apply to many different evaluation projects. If you’re new to evaluation, we hope these examples can help you write questions that apply to the initiative you’re evaluating. If you have some evaluation experience already, watch for an upcoming post sharing evaluation question examples at different stages of the evaluation and learning cycle.

Youth Programming

What makes this program unique?
Who are the program participants?
To what extent are children, youth and caregivers participating in programming?
To what extent is programming making a difference in the lives of children, youth and families?
Which groups benefitted most from the program?
To what extent do program staff hold required safety certifications?
In what ways did program operations differ from the original plan?

Healthcare Initiatives

In what ways did program planners consider equitable access to care?
How has the program impacted pathways to and from primary care?
To what extent is the organization demonstrating leadership in community health planning?
To what extent do patients experience an easy referral process?
How do quality of life outcomes compare to norms in the region?
To what extent does the program affect mobility?
How efficient is the patient flow through arrival to admission?
How quickly can patients access the service?
To what extent are patients receiving appropriate preventative screening?
How effective are interdisciplinary teams?
In what ways has the project affected patient safety?
What contribution has the program made to meeting the targets for the Sustainable Development Goal “ensure healthy lives and wellbeing at all ages?”

Environmental Initiatives

How has the campaign impacted local awareness of the incentive program?
What impact has this process had on emissions in the northeast region?
How well aligned are the program activities with the regional strategy?
In what ways have residents changed their use of plastics?
To what extent has recycling capacity increased?
How has the program expanded access to affordable sustainable energy?
How well do the program’s messages resonate with local understanding of forest use?
For how long do sponsored companies maintain these new practices?
Which of the three program options was the most cost-effective?
To what extent did the initiative create unintended outcomes?
Collecting Data

Education & Training Programs

How well prepared were students upon program entry?
To what extent did the course deliver content students expected?
How successful are program graduates in achieving certification?
How have trainees applied the lessons from the course?
How accurate do students feel their assessments were?
What factors most drove learner success?
To what extent do trainees report changes in confidence?
What changes in organizational performance can be attributed to the training program?

Collective Impact

To what extent are partners collaborating?
How engaged are local leaders in contributing to the network?
How well do chosen outcomes resonate with each partner?
How confident are partners that they can achieve the intended outcomes?
To what extent has the collective impact been measured?
How have the initiatives affected quality of life?
How long do agencies’ collaborative relationships last?

We hope these evaluation question examples have inspired some of your own.

Wondering how to document your evaluation questions? Download our free Evaluation Plan Template.

To learn more about applying evaluation in practice, check out more of our articles, or connect with us over on Twitter (@EvalAcadmey) or LinkedIn.

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