This program evaluation plan template connects each question with an indicator, a data source, a collection method, and a decision. Choose evidence that can answer the question before you begin collecting it. The worked example plans an evaluation of a fictional exhibit-label orientation program.
Start with the decision someone needs to make
The original program example proposes four orientation sessions. The coordinator wants to decide which part of the orientation to revise before the next round.
Three questions serve that purpose:
| Question | Proposed evidence | Intended use |
|---|---|---|
| Q1: Were the four sessions delivered as planned? | Dated session-delivery log. | Identify delivery gaps before scheduling another round. |
| Q2: How do participants identify a source reference and recorded date in an unfamiliar practice label? | Individual task observation, recording the two actions separately. | Decide which explanation or practice activity needs revision. |
| Q3: Which wording do participants find unclear? | Short voluntary follow-up responses. | Select wording to investigate and rewrite. |
The CDC's evaluation planning guidance calls for defining indicators, methods, and sources before collection. Its question-and-design guidance also connects the design with intended users and uses. This example applies those general planning principles to an original education program.
Complete the evidence path for each question
Select Q1, Q2, or Q3 in the example to inspect the full planning entry. Each needs more than a source name:
| Planning element | Q1: delivery | Q2: label interpretation | Q3: unclear wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicator | Number of sessions delivered. | Source reference identified; recorded date identified. Keep the actions separate. | Wording participants identify as unclear, with their explanation. |
| Collection method | Facilitator records each session after delivery. | Observer uses the same neutral instruction and a blank recording sheet. | Short voluntary follow-up prompts. |
| Timing | After each of the four planned sessions. | At the agreed point after orientation. | At the agreed follow-up point. |
| Analysis | Compare the dated delivery log with the four-session plan. | Describe each observed action, help given, and missing observations. | Group responses by the wording or issue mentioned; retain anonymous excerpts where permitted. |
| Owner | Name to agree. | Observer and reviewer to agree. | Collector and reviewer to agree. |
The actual counts, responses, and findings remain blank. Before collection, assign the owners and dates so the plan describes work someone can carry out.
Check whether the source can answer Q2
In Compare data sources, select an attendance log for Q2. The log can show participation. It contains no observation of someone reading a label, so it cannot answer the interpretation question.
Switch to the proposed task observation sheet. The original practice label P1 reads:
Object sketch
Source card C12
Recorded 2026-09-14
The neutral instruction is:
Show the source reference and the recorded date on this practice label.
The sheet leaves separate spaces for the source-reference action and the date action. It also records help given and Not observed where an observation is missing. That makes a skipped observation distinguishable from an observed difficulty.
Try the instruction and sheet with a colleague before collection. If the observer cannot tell where to record a prompted response, revise the sheet while it is still a plan.
Agree on what the findings could support
This plan has no before-orientation baseline or comparison group. It can describe what was observed afterward; it cannot estimate improvement or show that the orientation caused the observed behavior.
Choose the decision rules with the coordinator before reviewing results. For example, agree on how recurring requests for help will be examined and how much evidence is needed before changing an activity. Leave an unagreed threshold open rather than inventing one for the template.
Plan collection effort too. State who can collect the observations, how long the task will take, which responses are optional, and where permitted records will be stored. Collect information that serves the questions instead of adding fields simply because the sheet has room.
Prepare your own evaluation matrix
Create one complete, self-contained HTML program evaluation plan.
Program and stage of development: [DESCRIBE]
Intended user of findings and decision to make: [PASTE]
Evaluation questions: [PASTE]
Indicator or observable action for each question: [PASTE]
Proposed sources and collection methods: [PASTE]
Timing, responsible roles, and available collection effort: [PASTE]
Analysis method and agreed decision rules: [PASTE OR MARK TO AGREE]
Known design limits, including missing baseline/comparison: [PASTE]
Permitted data, voluntary participation arrangements, and storage: [PASTE]
Original practice task and blank recording fields, if applicable: [PASTE]
For every question, show indicator, source, method, timing, owner,
analysis, intended decision, and limits. Keep planned collection separate
from actual counts, responses, and findings. Leave unsupplied results blank.
Let a reader select a question to trace that full evidence path.
Compare a proposed source with the question it could answer; do not
treat attendance as proof of understanding. If a task has two observed
actions, record them separately with help and missing-observation fields.
Do not manufacture effectiveness scores, improvement, or causal claims.
Include a blank plan builder that identifies missing question, indicator,
source, or method. Preserve temporary notes when switching questions,
mark generated review output stale after edits, and ask before resetting.
Do not collect participant data or claim records have been saved or sent.
Use labeled keyboard-accessible controls, text of at least 16px, and
a layout readable at 360px without horizontal scrolling. Put CSS and
JavaScript inline with no external dependencies. Return complete HTML.
Review the collection task before scheduling it
Ask the observer to walk through P1 and the blank sheet. Ask the coordinator whether the resulting notes would help decide what to revise. If either person needs different information, change the question or method before arranging collection.
In a NOS review copy, clarify the instruction above the two practice fields while viewing the label beside it. For Q2, name the source-reference action and recorded-date action separately, then explain how to note help or a missing observation. Agree who will collect those observations and when before using the plan.