An evaluation plan should include a clear description of what data will be collected, from what sources and how, by whom, and when, as well as how the data will be analyzed. Placing this information in a matrix helps ensure that there is a viable plan for collecting all the data necessary to answer each evaluation question and that all collected data will serve a specific, intended purpose. The table below may be copied into another document, such as a grant proposal, and edited/ expanded as needed. An example is provided on the next page.

About the Authors

Lori Wingate

Lori Wingate

Executive Director, The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University

Lori has a Ph.D. in evaluation and more than 20 years of experience in the field of program evaluation. She is co-principal investigator of EvaluATE and leads and a variety of evaluation projects at WMU focused on STEM education, health, and higher education initiatives. Dr. Wingate has led numerous webinars and workshops on evaluation in a variety of contexts, including CDC University and the American Evaluation Association Summer Evaluation Institute. She is an associate member of the graduate faculty at WMU.

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