Evaluating the Activity
It’s important to evaluate your activity after it ends
to see how it went, what people thought of it, and what lessons you’ve
learned. Evaluation is the seventh building block. The information you collect
can be used to plan other activities and to improve your efforts in the future.
Evaluation will help you learn:
- What worked well
- Whether you have met your activity goals
- What needs to be improved for next time
- How to improve the activity
How to evaluate an activity: The end of
this section has an Activity Tracking Form and a
Participant Feedback Form to help you keep track
of:
- What participants said about the activity
- How many people attended the activity
- How many materials were used or given to
participants
- How much media coverage took place
Track people and materials: Getting
information or feedback from participants on how they found out about the
activity, what they learned, and what they liked is a must! Ask people to fill
out the Participant Feedback Form and collect it at the end of the event. If
your activity takes place over a few weeks or months or is ongoing, you can ask
participants to fill out the form in the middle or at the end of the activity.
Track promotional efforts: Compare the
number and type of promotional materials that you created and sent out with how
people found out about your activity. For example, if you learn that most
people heard about the activity through flyers, then you know that flyers
worked well as a promotional material. (See the Activity
Tracking Form.)
Track media coverage: Learn what types of
media were most interested in your activity. For future events, send press
releases, advisories, and PSAs to these contacts. (See the
Activity Tracking Form.)
Track partners and their reactions: Write
down who your partners were and what they provided. Also ask your partners what
they thought went well and what needs to be improved. (See
the Activity Tracking Form.)
How to use your evaluation results: Go over
the results from the Activity Tracking Form and the Participant Feedback Forms.
Share this information with your partners and discuss the lessons you’ve
learned. Your results should be used to plan and improve future activities. For
example, as a result of the evaluation you may decide to:
- Hold activities on a different day or time.
- Keep activities that were successful and change those
that weren’t.
- Choose materials that better meet your community’s
needs.
- Make sure the activity goals meet the needs of the
community.
- Promote the activity differently next time.
- Send information to the same or different media
contacts.
Activity Tracking Form
Use the form below to help track and evaluate your activity.
The information you collect will help you and your partners plan future
activities.
|
Activity Tracking
Form |
|
Activity
Title:_____________________________
Activity
Date:________________________
Community (for example, your
neighborhood, school, workplace):__________________________
Activity Goal(s):
________________________________________________________________
At the Activity :
Number of adults: _________ Number of
children:__________
Materials Given Out:
Number of
handouts on: Physical activity:
_____________ Healthy eating:
______________
Other:
________________________________________________________________________
Promoting the Activity:
Number of flyers, brochures, or newsletters mailed, faxed, or
displayed: _____________________
Number of posters displayed:
__________
Media Coverage:
Did the media
attend the activity?  Yes
No
If so, what type? Radio: ____ Television: ____
Newspaper: ____ Other: ____________________
Were articles or stories printed in local newspapers
or magazines? Yes
No
Were public service announcements (PSAs) aired on
local radio or TV stations?
Yes No
Partners:
Names of partners and
what they provided (for example, Forest Lake Community Center: two staff; $200;
1,000 copies of fact sheets).
1.__________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________
|
Participant Feedback Form
Organizer: Give out the form below at the
end of a one-time event or during an ongoing activity. Make sure you fill in
the name of the activity and the activity goal before you copy and hand out the
form. Decide in advance and tell people where they should leave their forms,
for example, in a box in the activity room.
|
Participant Feedback
Form
|
|
Please take a few minutes to fill out and return this
form. Your comments will help us plan future activities.
Name of
activity:______________________________________________________________
Activity goal:
_________________________________________________________________
1. How did you hear about this activity? (Please check
all that apply):
Flyer
Poster
Radio or TV
Friend or Family
Brochure
Newsletter Newspaper
Other
2. Was this a good time of day for you to attend a
community activity? Yes
No
If not, what day and time would be better for you?
____________________________________
3. Did the activity meet the goal(s) stated above?
Yes
No
4. Did you enjoy the activity?
Yes
No
Why / Why
not?______________________________________________________________
5. Describe something new you learned today or during
this activity:
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Did the physical activity or healthy eating event
give you ideas to do at home?
Yes No
7. Were the materials useful?
Yes
No
8. Would you attend another physical activity or
healthy eating event? Yes
No
9. What topics on physical activity or healthy eating
would you like to learn more about?
__________________________________________________________________________
If you would like to learn about our future events or
help plan them, please provide the information below:
Name:____________________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________________
Telephone number:___________________ Email
address:__________________________
Thank you for filling out
this form!
|
Success Story: Philly Fitness for Life
“I went to a camp, where I lost 65 pounds by learning
how to eat healthy and do more activities like walking and dancing. At the end,
the mayor gave a speech. He also had lost a lot of weight and talked about what
it would be like outside of camp. He said the best thing we could do was to
stay connected to each other and keep the support going.
I related to that completely. I did not want to lose the
good feeling I had. I liked my new energy and how I looked. I wanted to share
that with the world! So I started a support group, Philly Fitness for Life, for
the ladies I went to camp with and anyone interested in healthy living.
It turns out a lot of people were interested. We grew from 9
to 84 members just by inviting our friends and families. We moved our monthly
meetings from our homes to the church community room. Each person gives $5 so
we can have cooking classes and drawings for prizes, like healthy cooking
books. We also have guest speakers, exercise, and sing and dance together. That
is what life is all about—helping yourself and others to stay
healthy!
It’s better to be healthy and have the freedom to
enjoy life, not just talk about aches and pains. My mom passed away from
complications due to diabetes. Most of her later years were spent at the
doctor’s office. Me? I’m spending my older years doing fun things!
I find that my excitement is catching—that is the key to starting a
support group. Be an example, live it, and feel good about
yourself—that’s what motivates others.”
Louise T., 69—Willow Grove, Pennsylvania |
