What do you do if your solutions are not working as intended?
Do you simply give up, call it a failure and move on? this would seem like a huge waste of time and resources.
Before you throw in the towel, you should do an evaluation to really understand what is going on, what is and isn't working.
Usually not everything in your solution or initiative is wrong, it could be performing poorly due to some specific areas that are not addressing the right drivers or behaviors, which means you can perhaps iterate on that specific part and change the outcomes.
For an organization this can mean huge savings, because they don't start from scratch.
So what do we mean by evaluation?
From the Magenta Book of the HM Treasure of the UK
"Evaluation is a systematic assessment of the design, implementation and outcomes of an intervention. It involves understanding how an intervention is being, or has been, implemented and what effects it has, for whom and why. It identifies what can be improved and estimates its overall impacts and cost-effectiveness." It can be used before, during or after a project.
These are the steps they recommend:
1.
Defining the Intervention
Identify and synthesize existing evidence and Develop a Theory of Change. This should be the first step in any evaluation.
2. Identifying Evaluation Needs: -Collaborate with potential users to understand their key questions. -Determine how the evidence will be used.
3.
Choosing Evaluation Approaches
Tailor methods to fit the evaluation type and questions, whether it's theory-based, experimental, quasi-experimental, or value-for-money.
Remember, evaluation planning is iterative which means you should regularly review decisions to ensure they align with the evaluation's purpose and the users' needs.
Some other uses for evaluation as per the Magenta book:
-Identification of risks -Benefits management and accountability -Informing key decision points -To respond to external scrutiny -Communicating impact -Understanding context -Stakeholder engagement and empowerment -Future policy decision making
We incorporate logic models in all our consulting projects, which means we are able to trace back the recommendations we make,
We also do evaluations to help our clients explain the logic of their decisions that generated value, or quickly course correct to get them back on track.
Need help evaluating your solutions, do reach out