Responses to Findings

Once you have discovered some findings, you will want to do something about them. Here’s how you can respond to your findings to address what you have found.

Responses to Findings

Once you have findings from your evaluation data, you will need to think about how to respond. Remember that evaluation is meant not only to prove but to improve. It would be irresponsible to hear from your program participants about how they are being impacted or not by your program, and then do nothing in response. Responding to findings honours the voice of your participants. It demonstrates that you are a responsive, learning organisation. It makes your program more effective over time. How, then, do you respond to your findings?

Think about three categories of responses:

• First, what adjustments to your programs could be made to improve your impact? Take each of your findings and explore the implications for program adjustments. A small adjustment might make a big impact if it is in the right area.
• Second, what strategies might you consider to improve your impact? Some of your findings will lead you to consider new or changed strategies. This is usually a bigger intervention than an adjustment. For your positive findings, you will be thinking about how to maximize the positive impact of those. For your gap, struggle, or challenge findings, your strategies will be designed to help people overcome those challenges.
• Third, what program experiments might you consider? A few of your findings will make you think about trying some experimental approaches. These will not rise to the level of major strategies, but they could provide you with some innovative ideas to try.