To further develop an organisation or project, a suitable method is needed to measure its success or failure and to make any difficulties visible. Evaluation itself is a science in itself, which can often be very complex. In many cases, however, there are also very simple methods.
The Cooperation Foundation has compiled a number of evaluation methods on its website http://www.buergergesellschaft.de, which are briefly presented below:
A very simple and lively method of evaluation is that of constellation. To this end, a moderator calls out a statement into the room such as “The event was very informative” or “The workshop really helped us move forward”. Then the other participants in the room either stand close to the person of the moderator to express their agreement or they stand up at a self-selected distance from him/her. This allows different opinions to be visualized. Each participant will then have the opportunity to give reasons for his or her selection. In order for the results to be used, the statements should be recorded in writing and then discussed again.
Another method of evaluation can be to evaluate a particular question using a circle on a large sheet of paper. The circle is divided into different segments, which in turn represent different aspects of an event or project. Inside the circle a plus is shown, which symbolizes full agreement. The outside of the circle is marked with a minus sign or an equivalent symbol to indicate any dissatisfaction. Each participant has to assign an adhesive point for each segment, which he/she can place more inside or more outside the circle, depending on the degree of agreement. This creates a quickly graspable mood image. Concrete points of criticism can only be addressed in this way, however, if everyone justifies the positioning of their adhesive dots. This can be very time-consuming.
SWOT – analysis of strengths and weaknesses
With the help of two different coloured presentation cards or Post-its, each participant has the opportunity to document his or her agreement or points of criticism in short notes. The cards are hung on a wall, which is divided into strengths and weaknesses. Several walls can be set up for different topics or questions. This type of reflection is also suitable for a situation analysis on a specific topic in order to determine what is already going well and where there may still be a need for optimisation in the future.
A somewhat more complex method is the design of a questionnaire. This method allows a more detailed recording of results, but also involves considerable preparation and follow-up work. Which questions should be asked? How should the questionnaire be distributed (paper or online)? How is this distributed to the target group? How are the results collected? And how are the results evaluated and processed? Cooperation with universities can be suitable for such tasks.
Balance Sheet Conference
To reflect on a topic or project with a larger group, it may also be worth organising a larger event. This can also be useful if some time has passed since a project was carried out and you want to keep the topic alive. In the following, the course of an assessment conference is presented using the example of a climate protection concept:
1. Review of the concept development process
2. Overview of successes and obstacles in implementation
3. Interaction: map query with the participants for further projects and to optimise the implementation process
4. Interaction: Collection of proposals for initial implementation steps
5. Round of discussions