Stage 6. Defining the evaluation plan

Completing this phase involves deciding which type of evaluation is the most appropriate for your intervention. Evaluating an intervention means carrying out a systematic process to collect, process and analyse information related to intervention implementation and results to determine whether it has achieved its objectives¹ or, in other words, to assess its degree of relevance, efficacy, effectiveness or impact in the light of these objectives.²

Although it may seem illogical, the evaluation of an intervention should be planned before starting it, as it takes place throughout the implementation process (sometimes it starts even before the intervention begins) and after its completion, sometimes continuing for some time after that. In fact, the duration of an intervention is one of the criteria that determine the type of evaluation that should be made and its duration. We will discuss these details and other related issues in this stage. 

More specifically, you will find information and tools in this stage that will help you to establish the type of evaluation for the intervention that you are planning, the appropriate procedure to carry it out, and the indicators that are best suited to the measurements that will be taken. You will also find tools (or information on how to access them) that you can use to collect the data you will need for this process.

References:

1 Taken from the EMCDDA online glossary. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

2 Adapted from Alonso C, Salvador T, Suelves JM et al. (2004). Prevención de la A a la Z. Glosario sobre prevención del abuso de drogas [Prevention from A to Z. A drug abuse prevention glossary]. Madrid: Centro de Estudios sobre Promoción de la Salud.