In Section 5: Evaluation, you learned that no matter how well you plan your activities, your evaluation questions, and your evaluation plan, it will all be for naught if you don't have a useful way to collect the data you will need to answer your evaluation questions. One way to collect data is through program observations. Program observation data are also incredibly useful in making immediate program improvements.
Directions: Use the following tips when conducting program observations as part of your data collection efforts. Please note that there are many observational assessments available for programs to use. Refer to Tool 85: Program Observation Tools for a list of tools that are the most common in the field, are research-based, are appropriate for a variety of program settings, and focus on the interactions between people in the program.