Evaluation content and tools

Evaluation content

Evaluation guide

Use our tools to identify which activity elements to monitor and the specific questions you need to answer.

Now that you know the goals of your evaluation and have organised your participants and funding, you need to devise the specific questions you'll need to collect data on.

Activities should be evaluated against their:

format and delivery — all activities can be evaluated against the same set of format standards, although delivery methods can be different for children.
subject matter — this changes based on the audience's age, cultural background or special needs.

Evaluating format and delivery

The format of your activity includes:

the theoretical basis of the activity
resources, eg staff and facilitators, training
timing and duration, eg the number of sessions and how long they last
how your activity addresses community needs (including cultural needs)
how your messages are reinforced outside of the activity
the teaching or communication methods you're using
the ethical guidelines you've set.

In general, effective activities:

foster community networks and partnerships
use both male and female facilitators
are comprehensive, evidence-based and theoretically grounded
recognise cultural diversity and are tailored to their audience
use research and evaluation to assess need, reflect on the work being undertaken, determine programme effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement
are responsive to community needs, beliefs, practices and norms, and challenge cultural norms where necessary
provide opportunities for the development of new skills
safeguard the rights of participants and have clear guidelines and management processes in place for dealing with disclosures.

Theories and models
The basics — format and delivery
Format and delivery for children and young people
Ethics, confidentiality and disclosure

Activity assessment tool

This tool contains the current best practice on what works in activity format and delivery. Use the tool to help you identify how your activity aligns with best practice, and what steps you can take to be more effective.

Not all the questions on the assessment tool will apply to your activity.

Activity assessment tool

Evaluating subject matter

Your evaluation is looking for changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviour based on the subject matter you're delivering. Subject matter includes:

healthy sexuality
challenging rigid gender roles or stereotypes
identifying sources of support
healthy relationships
identifying and responding to potential abuse situations
bystander skills.

Different types of activities and audiences require different subject matter.

Evaluating general subject matter

For general populations, effective subject matter:

encourages active bystander skills
promotes healthy behaviours
promotes victim empathy
encourages participants to think about personal ethics and positive expressions of gender identity
teaches positive interpersonal relationship skills
encourages role models who promote healthy relationships and healthy sexuality
helps participants identify and respond to potential abuse situations
challenges social norms which normalise sexual violence
examines power differentials between different groups.

What works — the basics
Questionnaire for general public

Evaluating subject matter for preschool and primary children

Effective subject matter means the pre-schoolers and children will:

understand body ownership
understand touching rules
know the correct anatomical terms for their genitalia
know how to identify potential abuse situations
understand how to tell an adult when they are concerned about the behaviour of another person
understand persistent telling
know how to identify sources of support
understand what "trusting intuition" means
understand they are not to blame if an adult touches them in inappropriate ways
understand the difference between secrets and surprises.

Subject matter for preschool and primary children
Feedback on information sessions
Child surveys and interviews
Pre-course survey for parents and caregivers

Evaluating subject matter for teenagers and young people

Effective subject matter for teens and young adults:

addresses human rights and gender equality issues, including gender stereotypes, power relations, and control
reflects the overlap and interconnection between sexual assault and domestic violence
promotes healthy behaviours and focuses on age-appropriate skills training, eg social competence, conflict management, problem solving, assertiveness training, anger management, and help-seeking
promotes victim empathy
considers social media.

Subject matter for teenagers and young people
Questionnaire for teens and young people
Information sheet for parents and caregivers
Information sheet and consent form for parents and children
Consent form for young people and teenagers

Evaluating Kaupapa Māori content

Kaupapa Māori evaluation is undertaken by Māori, for Māori, to ensure that Māori have power over their representation and their knowledge and resources. Māori communities are actively engaged, Māori tikanga and processes are followed, and the evaluation is informed by wider aspirations for Māori development.

Kaupapa Māori programmes work best when they:

tailor content to different iwi, hapu and whānau needs
are presented by both tane [male] and wahine [female] facilitators
facilitate tuakana-teina [an older expert who guides a younger person] relationships
use the principles of tika [truth or "rightness"], pono [honesty] and aroha [love], which are all present and in balance.

Make sure you ask participants how responsive the activity was to Māori.

What works for Māori
Kaupapa Māori principles

Kaupapa Māori principles

These principles underpin Kaupapa Māori research and evaluation:

Tino Rangatiratanga (the principle of self-determination) — research and evaluation must reinforce the goal of allowing Māori to control their own culture, aspirations, and destiny. Māori communities should have some control and autonomy over the research and evaluation process.
Taonga Tuku Iho (the principle of cultural aspiration) — acknowledges Te Reo Māori, Tīkanga Māori and Mātauranga Māori as valid ways of viewing and acting in the world, which hold spiritual and cultural significance for Māori.
Ako Māori (the principle of culturally preferred pedagogy) — highlights the importance of using research and evaluation practices that are unique to Māori culture, or that are preferred by Māori even if they are not derived from Māori tradition, eg kanohi-ki-te-kanohi interactions.
Kia piki ake i ngā raruraru o te kainga (the principle of socio-economic mediation) — research and evaluation should address the negative pressures and disadvantages experienced by Māori communities, and work towards positive outcomes for Māori communities.
Whānau (the principle of extended family structure) — relationships with whānau are central for Māori society and culture, and researchers and evaluators need to nurture these relationships and to build and maintain strong connections with research participants and communities.
Kaupapa (the principle of collective philosophy) — research and evaluation should be considered as contributions to a larger set of collective community goals and aspirations.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the principle of the Treaty of Waitangi) — affirms the rights of Māori as both citizens and as tangata whenua of New Zealand.
Ata (the principle of growing respectful relationships) — highlights the importance of building and nurturing relationships when engaging with Māori and going about this in a culturally appropriate manner.