once upon a time evaluation reports that get attention cynthia olney nn/lm outreach evaluation...

Once Upon a Time

Evaluation ReportsThat Get Attention

Cynthia OlneyNN/LM Outreach Evaluation

Research CenterFebruary 21, 2013

About the slide images

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Hoped-for response

Typical response

• Written evaluation reports are nearly as varied as those who write them, but the great majority share a common characteristic: They make tedious and tiresome reading.

-- Fitzpatrick, Sanders, and Worthen, 2011, p. 43

Most people get evaluation reports that look like this.

Most people get evaluation reports that look like this.

People respond better to this

The solution:

Don’t let data get in the way of a good story

The solution: Don’t let data get in the way of

a good story.

Write your story, then weave the data into it.

The Process:5 steps to report writing

Step 1

Data analysis:graphs, charts, tables, statistics

Q2: How often do you use MedlinePlus or MedlinePlus en español?

Key findings: Seventy-seven percent of ___ are using MedlinePlus, with more than one-third saying they use it monthly.

% N

20% 617% 537% 113% 123% 70% 0

300skipped question

Answer Options

Almost never or never

1-2 times a month

answered question

1-2 times a year

Once a week or more

Don't know

3-4 times a year

Step 2Collect all the important findings

Step 3Organize and condense

You don’t have to tell everything you know-- my grandma

Step 4Write a short narrative (a story)

Descriptive words for amounts

Step 5:Choose statistics, charts, pictures

to illustrate or reinforce key points

Organizing your findings: Program reports using story book

structure

Where is your data?

The story book structure

Example: Cinderella

Weaving in data

Nancy Duarte’s Sparkline:

Advocating for a great idea

Duarte’s Sparkline: Comparing “What is” to “What could be”

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Vision: Train health care providers to address patients’ health information needs

MAKING YOUR STORY MEMORABLE

Images

Call outs

Report available at http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/2011_PAR.pdf

Provocative Headers

• Report available at http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/facts/annual_report.asp

No publishing software needed!

Have a memorable ending

Transformation: How the characters move forward

Call to action: What needs to be done to move toward the

vision

Bottom line: Don‘t let data get in the way of a good story

References

1. Developing Evaluation Reports that are Useful, User-friendly, and Used .Tamara Walser (AEA coffee break seminar CBD039, February 10, 2011) http://bit.ly/12dmVsT (available to members of AEA only)

2. Resonate. Nancy Duarte (2010, Wiley)

3. The Secret Structure of Great Talks. Nancy Duarte (TEDtalks, February 2012) http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks.html

NN/LM Outreach Evaluation Resource Center

Web Address: http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/

Contact Information

Susan Barnes, Assistant Director

sjbarnes@uw.edu

206-221-7425

Cindy Olney, Evaluation Specialist

olneyc@uw.edu

678-682-3864