What is evaluation actually for—learning, accountability, or both or something more?
What is working for whom, in what context and why as a result of your work?
How does evaluation support organizational decision making and your organization’s mission?
Evaluation 101 provides a practical introduction to evaluation for people who want to better understand, design, or use evaluation in their work. Rather than focusing on technical jargon or compliance-driven reporting, this course emphasizes evaluation as a tool for learning, reflection, and better decision-making.
Participants explore what evaluation is, why it matters, and how it can be used to support programs, initiatives, and organizations. The course demystifies common evaluation concepts—such as theories of change, indicators, and data collection—while keeping a strong focus on real-world application. Throughout the six weeks, participants work with examples from their own contexts and learn how to ask meaningful questions, gather useful information, and make sense of what they are learning.
This course is especially well-suited for practitioners, managers, funders, and community leaders who are new to evaluation or who want a clearer foundation for engaging with evaluators. By the end of the course, participants are better equipped to participate in evaluation processes with confidence and to use evaluation findings to support learning and action.
Format: 6 weeks | 2 hours per week | Live online
Each session includes short presentations, guided peer conversations, and practical tools participants can use right away in their organizations.
What you’ll learn
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Explain what evaluation is and why it matters
Clarify the purpose and use of an evaluation
Develop clear evaluation questions and indicators
Choose appropriate methods for collecting information
Make sense of evaluation data with others
Communicate findings in useful and accessible ways
Skills and competencies you’ll build
Evaluation literacy and shared language
Theory of change development
Question and indicator design
Basic qualitative and quantitative methods
Sensemaking and learning from data
Communicating evaluation for action