Step 4: Identify the Purpose of the Evaluation

What is this step?

This step will help your group to agree on a purpose statement.

An evaluation can have different purposes. For example, it can assess program success at its end (summative), improve your program throughout (formative), or create new innovation (developmental). An evaluation can also focus on how a program is being implemented (process) or assess its impact (outcomes).

In community-based evaluation, a clear purpose statement brings focus to your evaluation and reflects the interests and common goals of all stakeholders.

Zoom in with your arrow

What do you need to do?

1

2 The purpose of this evaluation is to...

Draft a purpose statement with the stakeholders using common elements in the diagram below.

Make sure there is input and agreement on the purpose statement from your steering committee members.

Verb

Scope, target, audience and focus of evaluation; indicate process and/or outcome focus

In order to...

Explain the action or use of the evaluation

How can other SAHs help?

The purpose statement below was developed collaboratively with SAHS across Canada as a generic evaluation purpose.

The statement provides clarity on the focus of an evaluation (e.g., process/implementation, outcomes/impact, and/or future directions).

You can adapt this purpose statement when creating your own community-based evaluation purpose.

Here is an example from Canada:

Example of Evaluation Purpose Statement for SAHs

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the processes and outcomes of the efforts of our Private Refugee Sponsorship stakeholders to:

provide quality and efficient resettlement support to newcomer refugees,
create positive, mutually transformative experiences for all stakeholders throughout the integration journey, and
build welcoming and justice-seeking communities across Canada.

This assessment will be done in order for stakeholders to determine how they can improve the ways private refugee sponsorship is implemented to better facilitate successful integration, equality and justice for newcomer refugees.