MESI Wrap-up: Making the Most of Multi-site Evaluations

The session "Making the Most of Multi-site Evaluations" was led by Jean King and Frances Lorenz.

When conducting multi-site evaluations, there are some key characteristics that will help ensure a successful evaluation. Some of the characteristics are:

• The evaluator(s)/project leader(s) should be open and receptive to unexpected results
• Before the evaluation begins, there should be discussion for how the program plans to use the evaluation results (plan for use)
• There needs to be clearly defined roles between the project and program leaders/evaluators, and open communication is crucial
• Stakeholders should be involved in the process, and should be kept in mind when reporting on evaluation results

Finally, and most importantly, you should remember that involvement promotes use. Using participatory evaluation can be beneficial when there are multiple sites.