Tips

For Disseminating Your Findings And Ensuring Continuity

So what?

Be sure to explain what kind of implications your results will have both for your group, for the community at large, and beyond.

What do you want me to do about it?

If your evaluation results have led you to any particular conclusions or recommendations about what your group or others should do in the future, explain how you arrived at your conclusions.

Prove it!

Support your recommendations with evidence gathered through your evaluation. Pithy quotes from participants can be just as powerful an indication of success as numbers.

Use your networks

Your community partners and stakeholders have their own networks of connections. Ask them to help you get in touch with as broad an audience as possible by piggybacking on their networks.

Anticipate people’s questions, concerns and objections

Think ahead about how a particular audience might react to your findings. Be prepared to respond with calm, logical, thoughtful and thorough answers to their questions and concerns.

Give your results to the right people

You don’t want all your hard work to end up buried under a pile of papers on the wrong person’s desk. When you’re sending out the report, put it to the attention of a particular person, and follow-up to see that they received it.

Address issues which those people will find important

Make sure to take into consideration the type of group you’re information to and tailor your presentation to that audience.

Present the information in time for it to be useful

If you wait too long to inform people, they will lose interest. Get the word out while there’s still a buzz happening, and while it’s fresh in people’s minds. Sometimes funders require a report within certain amount of time after the funding period ends. Make sure to stick to that date.

Make sure the information is clear and easily understood

Present your information in such a way that someone who had never previously heard of your project would understand. Avoid using jargon, and tell the story clearly, beginning with a summary of the project.

Get the support of community leaders.

Having credible, high profile community leaders behind your project will go a long way towards getting your efforts noticed and welcomed as a part of the life of your community.

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