The following resources provide guidance on how to build evaluation capacity to improve organizational effectiveness, including State and local examples.
Building Evaluation Capacity: Designing a Cross-Project Evaluation: Guide I (PDF - 503 KB)
Clewell & Campbell (2008)
Focuses on evaluation design functions, including identifying and putting into operation program goals and using logic models.
Building Evaluation Capacity: Collecting and Using Data in Cross-Project Evaluations, Guide II (PDF - 539 KB)
Campbell & Clewell (2008)
Addresses data collection, reporting, and use, examining ways to build data-collection capacity among projects; rationales, sources, and measures of comparison data; issues inherent in the reporting and displaying of data; and the protection of human subjects in data collection.
A Funder's Guide to Evaluation: Leveraging Evaluation to Improve Nonprofit Effectiveness
York (2005)
View Abstract
Designed to help funders decide whether and how to support the use of evaluation as an organizational capacity-building tool.
How Evaluative Learning Builds Capacity
York (2005)
In A Funder's Guide to Evaluation: Leveraging Evaluation to Improve Nonprofit Effectiveness
View Abstract
Explores how funders and nonprofit organizations typically evaluate their grantees' programs. Presents strategies for using evaluation as a capacity-building tool to improve organizational functions like board development, strategic planning, and fundraising.
A Multidisciplinary Model of Evaluation Capacity Building (PDF - 215 KB)
Preskill & Boyle (2008)
American Journal of Evaluation, 29(4)
Describes a model of evaluation capacity building to use for designing and implementing capacity building activities and processes.
State and local examples
Building Evaluation Capacity in Community-Based Organizations: Reflections of an Empowerment Evaluation Team
Andrews, Motes, Floyd, Flerx, & Lopez-De Fede
Journal of Community Practice, 13(4), 2006
View Abstract
Presents the challenges and successes of a university-based empowerment evaluation team as it promoted community-based organizations' self-evaluation skills through a large community capacity building effort.
Evaluating the Capacity of Faith-Based Programs in Colorado
Leake, Green, Marquez, Vanderburg, Guillaume, & Gardner
Research on Social Work Practice, 17(2), 2007
View Abstract
Presents results of a study examining faith-based organizations' capacity gains after participating in a targeted capacity-building intervention.