Outcomes Checklist Consider the following criteria when examining your outcomes: Are the outcomes important? Are the end outcomes important? Do they represent significant change or improvements that are valued by participants and key stakeholders? Outcomes may be achievable but not really worth the effort. Apply the "Who cares?" test. Are the outcomes reasonable? Are the outcomes (from short-term to long-term to impact) connected to one another and linked in a reasonable order? Is it likely that one will lead to the next? Another way to think about this is to consider the “if-then” statements (or logic statements) embedded in a chain of outcomes. For example, using the College Ready example, will increased parent participation in workshops on college readiness lead to students completing more college applications? Will access to online courses lead to increased student engagement and increased student achievement? Issues of sequence and timing of activities and intended outcomes is important to consider. Are the outcomes realistic? Are the outcomes that you suggest realistic given the nature of the problem, your resources, and your abilities? Will the program lead to or help contribute to these outcomes? (Be careful to ensure that the outcomes are realistic given the level of effort.) In other words, if you deliver one parent education class, is it realistic to expect an increase in student achievement? Ask hard questions about the outcomes as they relate to the actual program or policy. Are you attending to unintentional or potentially negative outcomes? Finally, it’s important to anticipate and consider the unintended or potentially negative outcomes that might result from the set of strategies and activities. What are potential negative effects of the program or policy? What else might happen that is different from what we intend? Or, how else might the sequence of events unfold? For example, could access to online courses lead to lower student attendance? Considering the unintended consequences allows program and policy designers to consider how to prepare for these possible outcomes, and also helps evaluators to be attuned to these possible consequences in the evaluation design. Another common set of criteria for outcomes are the S.M.A.R.T. goals. These are: Specific Measurable Action-oriented Realistic Timed
Outcomes Checklist Consider the following criteria when examining your outcomes: Are the outcomes important? Are the end outcomes important? Do they represent significant change or improvements that are valued by participants and key stakeholders? Outcomes may be achievable but not really worth the effort. Apply the "Who cares?" test. Are the outcomes reasonable? Are the outcomes (from short-term to long-term to impact) connected to one another and linked in a reasonable order? Is it likely that one will lead to the next? Another way to think about this is to consider the “if-then” statements (or logic statements) embedded in a chain of outcomes. For example, using the College Ready example, will increased parent participation in workshops on college readiness lead to students completing more college applications? Will access to online courses lead to increased student engagement and increased student achievement? Issues of sequence and timing of activities and intended outcomes is important to consider. Are the outcomes realistic? Are the outcomes that you suggest realistic given the nature of the problem, your resources, and your abilities? Will the program lead to or help contribute to these outcomes? (Be careful to ensure that the outcomes are realistic given the level of effort.) In other words, if you deliver one parent education class, is it realistic to expect an increase in student achievement? Ask hard questions about the outcomes as they relate to the actual program or policy. Are you attending to unintentional or potentially negative outcomes? Finally, it’s important to anticipate and consider the unintended or potentially negative outcomes that might result from the set of strategies and activities. What are potential negative effects of the program or policy? What else might happen that is different from what we intend? Or, how else might the sequence of events unfold? For example, could access to online courses lead to lower student attendance? Considering the unintended consequences allows program and policy designers to consider how to prepare for these possible outcomes, and also helps evaluators to be attuned to these possible consequences in the evaluation design. Another common set of criteria for outcomes are the S.M.A.R.T. goals. These are: Specific Measurable Action-oriented Realistic Timed