Evaluation Plan: A Key Component of Education and Training Proposals

Not all solicitations specifically require an evaluation plan, but it is a good idea to include one in your education and training proposal even when it is not required. A well thought out evaluation plan adds value to your proposal because it ensures continuous improvement of your project and shows funding agencies that you have a clear way to assess your project’s impact.

Evaluation Plan Design

When designing an evaluation plan it is important to address all of the evaluation plan requirements included in a solicitation, but it is also important to go beyond boilerplate language and generic evaluation plans. Reviewers can see a generic evaluation plan a mile away because they are likely reading numerous proposals with the same one-size-fits-all plan inserted. The evaluation plan needs to be seamlessly integrated in the proposal with coherence between the proposal goals and evidence of meeting such goals.  

A strong evaluation plan should have well thought out evaluation questions, a clear description of how you plan to collect data, logic models or theories of action to help describe the project inputs / outputs / and impacts, and have a clear timeline and milestones. In addition, the evaluation plan should describe a plan for reporting and dissemination strategies of the evaluation’s findings with a summative evaluation of the project.

Most of all, the evaluation plan should be appropriate to the type and scope of the proposed project. Evaluation plans are not one-size-fits-all. 

Types of Evaluation to Consider

There are two types of evaluation to consider – formative and summative. Formative evaluation takes place while a program is in process. Because it focuses on the process, formative evaluation can take place during any part of a project. It is used to evaluate how well the project is meeting its goals at that point in the process. Formative evaluation is generally used to for continuous improvement of a project using qualitative data. This type of evaluation can help adjust a project when goals are being met as expected. 

A summative evaluation is undertaken during the final year of the project to assess whether or not the project has met its goals. It requires a collection of baseline and end-of-program quantitative data and seeks to answer the question, what evidence do we have to demonstrate the impact of this program? Examples of summative evaluation metrics may include, but are not limited to, increased content knowledge, improvements in pedagogical practices, increased awareness, interest, and attainment of skills, and / or increased entry into STEM careers.  

Selecting an External Evaluator

Identify an evaluator early and have them involved in the proposal writing process. There are a number of criteria to consider when selecting an external evaluator. Does the evaluator specialize in the type of evaluation you want to be completed (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, summative, formative, etc.)? Does the evaluator have experience evaluating the type of education and training program you are proposing? Does the evaluator understand your education and training program? Are they willing to participate in proposal team meetings and be engaged in the writing process?  

When putting a proposal together, the budget for project evaluation typically ranges from 5% to 15% of the total project budget. It is important to budget appropriately for the evaluator based on tasks and responsibilities, so the evaluation budget will increase with the complexity of the proposed evaluation activities. Things like the number of program evaluation questions or issues to be addressed, the number of program implementation sites involved, customization requirements of the evaluation instruments based on the characteristics of stakeholders, and the amount of labor required for data collection / analysis/ reporting sites will all affect how large (or small) the evaluation budget will run. 

Upon award, the evaluator should be regularly engaged in meetings to promote communication, and to discuss aspects of evaluation instrument design, lessons learned, and evaluation management issues.

Available Resources

If you are putting together an evaluation plan and seek help, NC State has resources to help you. The Proposal Development Unit is always happy to help connect proposal teams with potential evaluators. In addition, NC State’s Industry Expansion Solutions has some great evaluation and assessment resources that may be helpful.