Evaluation Literacy and Use in Community Organizations: Insights and Implications for Evaluation Capacity Building

Abstract

Past research on evaluation capacity in community organizations has focused on their capacity to conduct rather than use evaluation. This study sought to address this gap by exploring evaluation use and the supporting processes, systems, and structures in the community sector. The authors administered an online survey to 102 individuals working or involved in community organizations to measure their perceptions of their organization’s capacity to use evaluation. The survey was based on an adaptation of Bourgeois and Cousins’ evaluation capacity framework and a related assessment tool, the Organizational Evaluation Capacity Assessment Instrument, for the community sector context. Their findings offer empirical insights into three critical dimensions of the adapted framework associated with evaluation use in community organizations: evaluation literacy, organizational decision-making, and learning benefits. This exploratory study generated several key findings, including the need for tools and policies that establish a strong link between evaluation and decision-making, expanding the scope of engagement in data interpretation beyond primary users, and extending the dissemination of findings to external stakeholders. Implications for practice and research are discussed.