Evaluation Report Template

Title
Choose a title that is descriptive of your project keeping your main
audience in mind.

Executive Summary
This will be useful for people, including funders, politicians and policy
makers, who have very little time to read but do need to know about
community health work. One to two pages long, use sub-headings
and bullet lists to break up text and increase readability.
Summarise the main points from the evaluation. Put the main findings
upfront. Include a summary of key recommendations.

Introduction
This part of your report introduces the initiative being evaluated and
the context in which it took place.
Briefly describe the geographical, socio-economic, political, environmental
and historical context and setting, as relevant to your initiative. The
context is critical to understanding the evaluation.

Program rationale and logic
This aspect of evaluation is often taken for granted by people running
programs because they assume that outsiders would have this knowledge.
In fact it is a crucial aspect of building the evidence base for effectiveness.

Describe the health issue and why it was selected. Outline what is
known about the issue in your community or more widely. Explain
why you have chosen to tackle the issue in the way you have.
Describe the overall goal of the program i.e. what you are trying to
achieve and why you think your approach will work. Draw on
literature, previous experience and practice knowledge.




More information about evaluation and examples of writing for each section of the report can be found on SACHRUs website at: http://som.flinders.edu.au/sachru
Are you writing an
evaluation report?
Why Evaluate?
Key reasons for conducting an evaluation
are to:

be accountable
find out what worked, what didn't, and
why in what context
feed into broader service and health
system planning
demonstrate effectiveness of the
comprehensive community health
model and contribute to a rigorous
evidence base for this model.

This report template is designed to
give you a report that will fulfil each
of these purposes.
The template includes:
Title
Executive summary
Introduction
Program rationale and logic
Description of the initiative/
program
Evaluation methods
Research/findings
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References
Appendices
Put the main findings upfront. Include a summary of
key recommendations...
Importance of producing a written report
Community health practitioners and
services put a lot of effort into
evaluation but it seldom gets written
up in a way that services and others
can use. This template provides you
with a framework to produce credible
reports that will reflect well on your
organisation. It will also help others to
learn from your evaluation.
Description of the initiative/program

A full description of the initiative allows someone who was not involved to get a
good idea of what was done.
Include the following:
the issue and how it was addressed
overall goal and specific objectives of the initiative
who the initiative was aimed at
what services and activities took place
who was involved in providing the services/activities
involvement of other organisations and sectors
ways in which community people were involved
costs of the program (staff time in planning and implementation, other costs).
if and how the initiative planned to tackle equity of access to services
if and how the initiative planned to contribute to more equitable health outcomes

Evaluation Methods

This section enables the reader to judge how accurate the findings of the evaluation are likely to be.
Include the following information:
full description of evaluation methods (e.g. focus groups, self-completion questionnaires, face-to-face
interviews, observation)
who took part in the evaluation (numbers and characteristics) and details of any sampling undertaken
description of the attempts to follow up people who did not respond to the data collection method
how the data was analysed
strengths and weaknesses of the chosen methods

Use of different methods and different data sources is useful for establishing validity


A full description of the initiative allows
someone who was not involved to get a good
idea of what was done...
W
r
i
t
i
n
g

a
n

e
v
a
l
u
a
t
i
o
n

r
e
p
o
r
t

Results/findings

This section presents your results what the data tells
you. Usually, an evaluation will contain a mix of quantitative
data and qualitative data.

If you have identified key performance indicators for your
program, report against these.

Divide the results into process (eg. attendance, satisfaction)
and impact (eg changes in participants knowledge, skills,
behaviour).

Present quantitative data as tables, pie charts or graphs
where appropriate. Present qualitative data as descriptive
themes. Use quotes to illustrate key themes and allow
the voices of people who were part of the evaluation to
be heard but also consider the confidentiality of your
informants.

If relevant, report on:
extent to which equity of access was achieved
extent of contribution to making health outcomes more
equitable
extent and quality of community participation
extent and quality of collaboration and partnership
any unexpected outcomes



Present quantitative data as tables, pie
charts or graphs. Present qualitative data
as descriptive themes...
Example of graph
Example of Pie Chart
Discussion

This section is where you reflect on the broader lessons from your evaluation and make recommendations
on the basis of the findings. Recommendations identify what was successful and should be
maintained or expanded, and where changes to practices and policies seem necessary.
Recommendations can be directed at professional practice, the service organisation, or other
bodies whose work impacts on the initiative you have evaluated.

Discuss each objective in light of the findings relating to them and describe your achievements. Consider
how your initiative dealt with the key primary health care principles of equity, participation across sectors
and involvement of the community.

Consider the impacts in relation to the costs ie value for money, benefit of the investment.

Describe the implications of the findings for your work, for your work team and organisation, and for
people beyond your organisation eg policy makers. Address the question of what your evaluation
suggests should change.

List each recommendation with an explanation linked to your findings and identify who has main
responsibility for action.


Conclusion

This section is short and is used to reinforce the main take home messages from your evaluation.
Summarise what the evaluation has found.
Acknowledgments

Thank people who were involved in your evaluation, including respondents and external
players such as a funding body. Acknowledgments can be at the front or end of your report.

References

List any references in a style which enables a reader to follow up on them and is
consistent. SACHRU prefers the Harvard style e.g.

Baum, F 2002, The New Public Health, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Jolley, G 2003, Performance measurement for community health services: opportunities
and challenges, Australian Health Review, vol. 26, no. 3, pp.133-140.


Appendices

Include copies of your data collection tools, detailed statistical data etc. that would
interrupt the flow of the main report.
Presentation and dissemination

Your report should be written in a style appropriate to your audience. This may be
community people, politicians, policy makers or your services board of management.

Clear presentation and thoughtful design will enhance the impact of your report. Desk-top
publishing and electronic scanning make it easier to produce a professional looking report.
Cartoons and photos can highlight main findings and make your report easier to read.

Consider other ways to present your findings so that different audiences are informed eg
posters, oral presentations, newsletters, journal articles.
Ensure you write to engage a particular audience...
The more professional the presentation of your report, the more
impact it is likely to have...
W
r
i
t
i
n
g

a
n

e
v
a
l
u
a
t
i
o
n

r
e
p
o
r
t

Telephone: (08) 8204 5988 Fax: (08) 8374 0230 Email: [email protected] Web: http://som.flinders.edu.au/sachru