As a form of social enquiry, all appropriate data collection options are available to the evaluator.
As such, methods used to collect information about the Context Assessment for the education programme will be
as appropriate for evaluation of the programme.
Methods include open-ended, structured group or individual interviews, focus groups, surveys,
contact with interlocutors and intermediaries, consultative meetings with stakeholders, and the use
of existing information (see Voter Background and Existing Data).
Amongst this existing information are the client survey or post-meeting reaction forms, which
should be used in all face-to-face and service-related educational programme elements. In
addition, evaluators should have access to other documents prepared by the programme and
investigations done by others.
The relationship between planning and evaluation should now become transparent. Much of the
data required for programme development is collected during an extensive evaluation of the
previous programme cycle. Linking programme development with previous evaluations is essential
if efficient use is to be made of resources. Indeed, an evaluation might have amongst its terms of
reference (see Terms Of Reference) the requirement that an assessment is made in preparation for a future
programme.
