Evaluation

Evaluation is useful for two key reasons:

1. Improving your processes

2. Sharing learnings with others hosting similar events

Evaluations are helpful both during and after your event. Evaluations at the end of each session are particularly helpful if you intend on hosting more than one session, or a follow-up conversation in the future. One way of doing an evaluation with folks on-site is by using the Plus Delta practice.

Plus Delta practice At the end of a session, distribute two sticky notes to each participant. One sticky note will be marked with a plus (+) sign, and the other with a delta (∆) sign. Ask them to answer the following question on each corresponding sticky note: + What did you like? ∆ What can be improved?

At the end of the conversation, you can also send an evaluation form to those who have attended. Reflect on what you want to learn from participants about their experience of the event, and design the questions accordingly. Include the responses received from the evaluations in your final report.

Safety

• When documenting responses, remember to ask the permission of participants as to whether they want to be attributed or not in the final report.

• When sending out the evaluation form, be transparent about your intentions in acquiring responses. Do you intend on publishing their responses in any way? Will their responses be shared with any third party?

• If possible, send the evaluation form using a link via a survey platform so that their responses cannot be traced back to them, and give participants the option to respond anonymously.

[Insert in-document link to the resources section, or quick links to one or two resources relevant to this chapter] https://padlet.com/jhybe/d74tt00dl5qogaex

Useful resource: Come together, APC guidelines on planning and designing online events