What is Evaluation?
An evaluation examines what is being done from a number of different angles and perspectives, and gives not only a clear sense of whether or not goals are being accomplished, but of where an organization’s strengths and weaknesses lie, of how to improve what is being done, and of new directions to explore. The primary reason for an evaluation is its usefulness in improving the organization. The more, and the more accurate, the information you obtain, and the better it is analyzed, the more useful it will be in helping identify and build upon the organization's strengths and pinpoint and correct areas needing work. A well-conceived evaluation can also help an organization adjust to changing needs in the community or target population, learn more about the implications of specific issues, provide a base for advocacy, and help with fundraising and resource development.

Evaluation services available from Community Asset Builders:

• Establishing an evaluation process/plan.  Why develop an evaluation plan?
• It guides you through each step of the evaluation process.
• It helps you decide what sort of information you and your stakeholders really need.
• It keeps you from wasting time gathering information that isn't needed.
• It helps you identify the best possible methods and strategies for getting the needed information.
• It helps you come up with a reasonable and realistic timeline for evaluation.
• Most importantly, it will help you improve your initiative.

Community Asset Builders LLC can help you determine which stakeholders to involve, what information you need to know, identify what data is available and what needs to be collected, and what is required by the community and or by specific funders. We can help you clarify program objectives and goals, develop evaluation questions, develop evaluation methods, and set up a timeline for evaluation activities.

• Design of tools. There are a variety of evaluation tools. Let Community Asset Builders LLC help your organization identify the right tool(s) for your project or help customize a tool that will obtain the results you need.

• Management and reporting of evaluation data.  If you want to know whether your proposed changes were truly accomplished – we assume you do – your best bet may be to do an outcomes or goal attainment report. Let us build a plan for capturing defined goals, objectives and strategies, identify measures and indicators, and help you and/or your staff track progress. We can help compute percentage changes and provide quantitative evidence of your progress. Finally, let us help you craft a report to share with the community, funders, constituents, etc., that draws some conclusions to inspire positive change.