ABSTRACT
Planning is one of the most critical steps in developing an return on investment impact study. It is also one of the most neglected steps. This is due in part to the time necessary to develop a solid, comprehensive plan. Planning the evaluation answers the questions why, what, how, who, and when—why evaluate the program, what is evaluated, how to go about doing it, whom to get data from and whom to tell, and when to collect the data. Conferring with the client and other key stakeholders and gaining upfront agreement on the type of data to be collected is a key component of a successful evaluation. Making upfront decisions also enables one to implement the evaluation process smoothly, without having to think of next steps along the way. Planning an evaluation begins with identifying and communicating with the key stakeholders, identifying the purposes for the evaluation, and linking the evaluation to the program objectives.
