Video 7: Data Metrics of Success

This section describes the Evaluation Plan for the project whichincludes the Outcomes and the Outputs which will result from the projectactivities..

Outcomes are the positive change occurring within your communityas a result of the project, such as overall changes in behaviors, knowledge,skillsets and attitudes. These are observable effects that are a result ofsuccessfully implemented project objectives.

Outputs are the tangible products or services that result fromactivities completed to achieve project objectives. Outputs must be quantifiedto determine whether the results are feasible given the projected time frame.

A project evaluation plan measures the success of a project anddetermines the achievement of project objectives. Every agency and fundermay have a specific way of evaluating projects. Make sure to follow thespecific requirements of the agency or funding source that you are applyingfor.

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Welcome to the ANA Project Planning and Development on demand training series.
This is Video seven, Data: Metrics for Success.
In this chapter, we will be discussing data collection. The data you collect, measure, and evaluate depends on your objectives, outcomes, and outputs. As discussed in the previous video, your objectives are the large stepping stones your project will have in order to achieve your project goal. You'll need to measure your project impact to determine the progress made towards your objectives. This might involve tracking a variety of different targets, which could be relevant services or benefits to your project populations. Referring to your grant requirements can help guide your evaluation process and ensure you are analyzing the correct information.
Your outcomes are the positive changes seen at the community level and result from successful implementation of your project. These can include increases in knowledge, skill development, and behavior changes. Your outputs are the resulting tangible products or services that result from the activities and objectives in your project. Examples of these could include training curriculums developed, number of certifications obtained, et cetera.
As mentioned, you will identify the data you need to track depending on your objectives, outcomes, and outputs. It can be from tracking attendance, performing assessments, testing. This will be unique to your project unless specified by the funder. There are many different measurement tools available and each can collect different unique information. Your project may require more than one strategy for collecting data, and your funder might outline what tracking tools you should use, so please refer to your funding announcement for this. Although you can use licensed data collection tools, it's also common for agencies to use Office tools, such as Excel, Smartsheets, et cetera. Use what works best for you. Organizations may have difficulty conducting an evaluation due to limited capacity, so it might be necessary to hire a consultant if no one in the community can perform this function. I'd like to mention a couple things about this. If at all possible, have the consultant train your staff on how to collect, analyze, and read data. This will help build your capacity moving forward. Additionally, if you're using a consultant, make sure that it's stated in the contract that you own the data.
Using the concept of outcomes versus outputs, this graph shows how you would apply your data or targets in a work plan. For this example, we will reference the objective used in video six. This project will provide job training to 45 tribal members over three years with 15 completing the project training each year.
Collecting, measuring, and evaluating data will let you know if your project is on track or if you need to modify it. Creating an evaluation plan can be very helpful for this. Funders might require an evaluation plan, and if so, it will be outlined in the funding announcement. The example on the slide shows a few different things you should consider when you're putting together your evaluation plan. Who will be involved in or leading your evaluation? What will you be evaluating? When will this take place and how often? Why are you performing the evaluation? And what will you use as an evaluation tool, and where will it take place?
Now that we've discussed how to create a measurable associated with your project, let's practice this on your worksheet. Identify the measurable you will be collecting data for, provide your baseline or starting point, and then list how much change will occur each year of the project. Please fill in the last box of your column, data, with some outcomes or outputs associated with your project. You may have already identified these in your objective. Again, you can reference examples earlier in this video for help if needed.
Thank you for viewing video seven of the Project Planning and Development on demand training series. If you have any questions regarding project development or the Administration for Native Americans, please feel free to contact us at aanaalaska.org.

Up next

Video 8: Resources and Partnerships

Training episodes

Video 1: ANA Funding Opportunities

Video 2: Community Led Planning

Video 3: Long Term Community Goal

Video 4: Identify the Condition

Video 5: Project Goal

Video 6: Objectives

Video 7: Data Metrics of Success

Video 8: Resources and Partnerships

Video 9: Approach and Workplan

Video 10: Contingency Planning

Video 11: Sustainability

Video 12: Developing a Project Budget

Video 13: Organizational Capacity

Video 14: Next Steps

Video 7: Data Metrics of Success