So you need to do an evaluation! Bob Hamblen, Colorado State University

What outcomes do you want to measure?  How many people attended  How you improved your program  What people learned  What practices were adopted  Any changes or impacts that occurred as a result of the program

Who are you targeting with your program? Examples:  Small-acreage owners  Realtors  Decision makers  Volunteers  Agencies

Things you need to do to get desired outcomes Examples:  Workshops  Classes  One-on-one trainings  Newsletters  Questionnaires  Testing

What resources do you need to make your program happen? Examples:  Staff time  Audiovisual equipment  Meeting location  Instructional material  Instructors  Partnerships  Possibly volunteers

Evaluation process review Start with what you want the learner to do or learn

Steamboat Creek pre/post test data % Correct Before (1996) % Correct After (1998) Program participants 65%76% Non- participants 50%49%

Washoe Valley pre/post test data % Correct Before (1998) % Correct After (2000) Random sample of target audience 63.8%72.3%

Satisfaction with program Steamboat Creek, 1998

Knowledge gain Steamboat Creek, 1998

Behavior change

Septic system maintenance  64% of respondents to a survey (n=53) had pumped their septic tanks within the past three years

Water quality data Before project After diverting water Total phosphorus 2.1 g/day 0.5 g/day Suspended sediment g/day 11 g/day

Example: A weed program for small-acreage owners You need resources such as:  Instructors  Audiovisual equipment  Weed mounts  Handouts  Meeting facility  Advertising to get participants  Possibly volunteers

Action items:  Conduct the educational program (class, workshop, field demonstration, etc.)  Teach weed curriculum  Supply weed identification books, mounts, etc.  Provide noxious weed samples for participants to identify  Invite participants to bring in their own weed samples  Practice identification skills

Short-term outcome: Be able to correctly identify 8 of 10 noxious weed samplesShort-term outcome: Be able to correctly identify 8 of 10 noxious weed samples Medium-term outcome: Change grazing practices to reduce weedsMedium-term outcome: Change grazing practices to reduce weeds Long-term outcome: Reduce noxious weed population in the homeowner association by 90%Long-term outcome: Reduce noxious weed population in the homeowner association by 90% Select the right evaluation tools to measure the desired outcome

Review Do the evaluation activity

Evaluation process Make the evaluation process the first step in your program planning!