Indicators
Indicators should be measurable and specific enough so that all can agree whether the behavior has occurred.
As you develop an indicator, be sure it meets the following criteria:
- Meaningful: Does it capture the essence of the outcome so that it can represent the outcome? [example: In the Riverton Memoirs example, outcome: participants become more skillful writers. Is it enough that improvement is assessed by the participating writers? Their instructor? An outside evaluator?]
- Timely: Is it likely to occur within the designed timeframe or often enough to be useful? [example: The West Dakota case tests whether their health database affects residents' health decisions by survey of randomly chosen residents six months after the last training services of the grant occur (with budget included in the grant). Check these examples by clicking the Case tab at the top of the screen.]
- Manageable: Is evaluation workable and cost-effective in terms of effort and budget? [ The Oregon Zoo case measures whether minority interns demonstrate presentation and teamwork skills using indicators which use attendance records, activity logs, and observations by project staff.]
- Acceptable: Will key stakeholders accept this indicator as a description of what the outcome looks like when it happens? [example: The Central Florida Memory program involves stakeholders in libraries and historical groups, 4th-grade teachers, and developers in business and government. The outcomes focus on changes in the librarians, 4th-grade classes and business/government users. Click the Case tab and choose Central Florida Memory to see the handling of this challenge.]