Evaluation Checklists

An evaluation checklist distills and clarifies relevant elements of practitioner experience, theory, principles and research to support evaluators in their work. The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, through their checklist project, seeks to advance excellence in evaluation by providing high-quality checklists to guide practice.

The checklists are organized below by evaluation tasks area. We are working to expand and improve the collection, so some task areas have more checklists than others. 

Please note that some older checklists have been retired, see Legacy Checklists.

Evaluation Task Areas

Managing Evaluation

Plan and manage use of resources involved in conducting an evaluation, including people, time and money.

Engaging Stakeholders

Identify stakeholders who should be informed about and involved in the evaluation and engage them accordingly in the evaluation.

Situating the Evaluation in Context

Identify the key characteristics of the program being evaluated and tailor the evaluation activities to the conditions in which the program operates.

Applying Specific Evaluation Approaches

Draw on established evaluation approaches, theories and models to guide the evaluation process.

Designing the Evaluation

Determine what aspects of the program the evaluation will focus on and make decisions about how to structure the inquiry to serve intended purposes.

Collecting and Analyzing Data

Obtain and describe data to generate credible findings.

  • No Checklists

Interpreting Evidence

Combine findings from data sources and use agreed-upon procedures and values to reach conclusions and judgments about the program.

Criteria for evaluating specific types of programs:

Reporting Results and Promoting Use

Describe and communicate the evaluation’s processes and results in a way that encourages understanding and use of results by stakeholders.

Evaluating the Evaluation (Metaevaluation)

Assess the quality of the evaluation.