The Art and Science of Knowing What Works and Why

From evaluation capacity building to ongoing coaching and technical assistance, KTA training consultancies are designed for practitioners — leaders, artists, managers, funders, and others solving problems of practice in workplace and community contexts.

. . . are those in which collecting, analyzing, and using performance data are embedded processes. In which measuring and monitoring are diagnostic tools rather than simply reporting requirements. When evaluation becomes a core management competency, evidence can be used to inform and transform both planning and practice.

Why ask why?

Evaluation is accountability-in-action: What’s happening and what accounts for what’s happening? Fulfilling a funder’s reporting requirements is just one important reason to embrace evaluative thinking. When you and your staff begin to weave “noticing with intention” throughout day-to-day operations, you’ll be addressing other (certainly more interesting) purposes such as:

• Documentation: The story of your organization, program, project . . .
What’s happening? What’s going on, how much, what kinds? Who are we, what do we do, how do we do it, who do we serve?

• Learning, planning, and improvement: Practice-based evidence for quality and performance management.
How can we get better? How can we be nimble and innovative?

• Effectiveness: Strategies and activities. Outputs and outcomes.
What’s working? What’s not working? Why/why not?

• Advocacy: Find the case. Make the case.
How do we demonstrate merit, worth, and significance?

Learn more: Resources, links, workshops, stuff

Making and measuring change: A double handful of program design and evaluation terms and definitions.
• Where are we going and what are we doing? »
• Did we get there and did it work? »