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.
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Evaluation Task Areas
Managing Evaluation
Plan and manage use of resources involved in conducting an evaluation, including people, time and money.
- Evaluation Budget Development by Jerry Horn
- Evaluation Contracts by Daniel Stufflebeam
- Evaluation Plans and Operations by Daniel Stufflebeam
- Negotiating Agreements by Robert Stake
Engaging Stakeholders
Identify stakeholders who should be informed about and involved in the evaluation and engage them accordingly in the evaluation.
- Evaluation Capacity Building by Boris Volkov and Jean King
- Institutionalizing Evaluation by Daniel Stufflebeam
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.
- NEW Checklist of Key Considerations for Development of Program Logic Models by Goldie MacDonald
Applying Specific Evaluation Approaches
Draw on established evaluation approaches, theories and models to guide the evaluation process.
- NEWCIPP Evaluation Model Checklist by Daniel Stufflebeam
- Constructivist (a.k.a. Fourth Generation) Evaluation by Egon Guba and Yvonna Lincoln
- Deliberative Democratic Evaluation by Ernest R. House and Kenneth R. Howe
- Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health: A Checklist of Steps and Standards by Goldie MacDonald
- Cadre pour l’évaluation du programme dans le domaine de la santé publique: Liste de contrôle des étapes et des normes by Goldie MacDonald
- Marco para el Programa de Evaluación en Salud Pública: Una lista de verificación de pasos y estándares by Goldie MacDonald
- Key Evaluation Checklist by Michael Scriven
- Qualitative Evaluation by Michael Quinn Patton
- Utilization-Focused Evaluation by Michael Quinn Patton
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.
- Criteria for Selection of High-Performing Indicators: A Checklist to Inform Monitoring and Evaluation by Goldie MacDonald
- Critères de sélection d’indicateurs de haute performance: Liste de contrôle destinée à rendre compte du suivi et de l’évaluation by Goldie MacDonald
- Criterios de selección de los indicadores de alto rendimiento: Lista de verificación para brindar información sobre el monitoreo y la evaluación by Goldie MacDonald
- Evaluation Design by Daniel Stufflebeam
- Evaluation Questions Checklist for Program Evaluation by Lori Wingate and Daniela Schroeter
Collecting and Analyzing Data
Obtain and describe data to generate credible findings.
- NEW! Effective Communication Strategies for Interviews and Focus Groups by Ouen Hunter and Jeffrey Hillman
Interpreting Evidence
Combine findings from data sources and use agreed-upon procedures and values to reach conclusions and judgments about the program.
- General Values and Criteria by Daniel Stufflebeam
Criteria for evaluating specific types of programs:
- Evaluating Credentialing Testing Programs by Gregory J. Cizek, Amy A. Germuth, Audra E. Kosh and Lorrie A. Schmid—Second Edition
- Evaluating K-12 Assessment Programs by Gregory Cizek, Lorrie A. Schmid and Amy A. Germuth—Second Edition
- Institutionalization of Technology in Schools by Catherine Awsumb Nelson, Jennifer Post and Bill Bickel
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.
- NEW Checklist for Evaluation Recommendations by Osvaldo Feinstein
- Checklist for Program Evaluation Report Content by Kelly N. Robertson and Lori A. Wingate—New Checklist
- Evaluation Feedback Workshops by Arlen Gullickson and Daniel Stufflebeam
- Evaluation Reports by Gary Miron
- Making Evaluation Meaningful to All Education Stakeholders by Paula Gangopadhyay
Evaluating the Evaluation (Metaevaluation)
Assess the quality of the evaluation.
- NEW Checklist of The Program Evaluation Standards Statements by Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation