Discussion: Planning for Evaluation

When a patient arrives in an emergency department with a dangerously high fever, a nurse typically knows before treatment begins how he or she will evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Evaluation is a critical component of any planned change, and it is essential to integrate it into the design and implementation of a strategic plan.

In this Discussion, you examine the significance of evaluation for the change you are proposing through your Course Project. How would you integrate evaluation in your strategic plan? How long would it take for the proposed change to become status quo, or refreeze, and what is an appropriate timeline for evaluation?

To prepare:

Review the information presented in this week’s Learning Resources. Reflect on how to develop an evaluation plan as part of the strategic planning process.

Refer to the balanced scorecard you have created for your Course Project. How would you evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed change using the metrics on your balanced scorecard? What other elements of your strategic plan may be important to consider as you design the evaluation plan?

Think about the timeline you would propose for evaluation. Consider the following:

How and when would you conduct evaluation?

Why is refreezing important? What strategies could you employ to facilitate refreezing?

Would you continue to evaluate the planned change further in the future? If so, how?

Post an explanation of how you would develop an evaluation plan for your proposed change. Outline an initial timeline for evaluation, and explain at least two strategies you would incorporate to encourage refreezing. Share insights you have gained about the process of planning evaluation.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by offering additional ideas for refining their approach to evaluation and proposed timeline.

Required Readings

Holden, D. J., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2009). Evaluation planning here and now. In D. J. Holden & M. A. Zimmerman (Eds.), A practical guide to program evaluation planning: Theory and case examples [Sage e-book].

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This chapter examines issues that should be considered before and during the planning process to determine the approach and design for evaluation. It includes a focus on stakeholder involvement.

Sridharan, S., & Nakaima, A. (2011). Ten steps to making evaluation matter. Evaluation and Program Planning, 34(2), 135–146.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article presents steps for developing and implementing evaluation, with a focus on paying attention to the specifics and complexity of a program or intervention when designing evaluation. “The specific problem that is discussed in this paper is: how can the act of evaluation help with program planning, implementation, and sustainability?” (Sridharan & Nakaima, 2011, p. 136).

 Markowitz, E. (2010, September 15). How to write an executive summary. Inc. Retrieved fromhttp://www.inc.com/guides/2010/09/how-to-write-an-executive-summary.html

Although this focuses more generally on creating an executive summary for a business plan, the information is useful for crafting the executive summary for your strategic plan.

 Thakur, S. (2011, June 9). Tips on preparing an executive summary of a strategic plan.Bright Hub. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/office/entrepreneurs/articles/87293.aspx

You will craft an executive summary for your Course Project. This website provides an overview on the process of developing an executive summary for a strategic plan.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013e). A critical element [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.

Dr. Carol Huston discusses evaluation, including key questions you need to ask for your evaluation and how to avoid common pitfalls.