Writing an evaluation report is only a small piece of communicating the results to stakeholders. What you really want is that they engage with the data and follow through on the recommendations.

1. Communicating evaluation
results to stakeholders
Marie Gervais, PhD., CEO Shift Management Inc.

2. Can you explain a bit about your
evaluation backgroud?
Use the chat box

3. Consider these themes:
1. Who are the
stakeholders?
2. What would be
the best
communication
strategy?
3. Decide what to
include in the
report, and in the
presentation
4. Invite
discussion,
engagement and
follow up

4.  BACKGROUND: What positions do they hold,
what do you know about them, what is their
decision making power?
 INTEREST: What is their interest and time
commitment for this?
 POLITICS: Are they funding the evaluation, or
who is the funder?
Who are the stakeholders?

5.  RESULTS: How will stakeholders use results of
the evaluation?
 WANT TO KNOW: What do they want to know
and why?
 REACTION: Are you expecting a negative
response to the findings?
Who are the stakeholders?

6.  Ideally you should know the stakeholders from the
beginning of the process
 Stay in touch with stakeholders and inform them of
progress
 Unanticipated negative results should be brought to
the attention of the most receptive stakeholder with
requests for advice on how to approach the issue.
Talk with the stakeholders

7. If stakeholders are …
1. unknown/unavailable to
you 
2. difficult 
3. resistant to findings 
4. always positive and
encouraging
1. find some way to connect
to the next in command. ★
2. Stay in touch more
frequently. ★
3. Keep multiple proofs and
clear “paper trail”. ★
4. Check that this is not a
façade, don’t be
blindsided. ★

8. What do you think about these
stakeholder engagement
suggestions and pitfalls?
Pick one theme you agree or disagree with and we will
pass you the mic to say why

9. Choosing communication strategies
Throughout
pecifc
easurable
chievable
esults-oriented
ime-bound
Final report: Results first
 Present in opposite order of
the process: results then
chronology
 Engage stakeholders
 Stress the “snapshot” in time
 Reinforce recommendation
implications, but keep actual
recommendations to the end

10. Choosing communication strategies
During the evaluation process
 Email – scheduled “check-ins”
 Phone call
 Short interim presentation:
(what we know, what we don’t
know)
 Article, web communiqué,
newsletter
 Workshop
After the evaluation
process
 What are stakeholder
communication needs?
 Present final report in person,
to all the stakeholders
 Encourage interaction and
questions
 Remind and engage for follow
up throughout

11. Report: what to include?
Executive Summary
 1-3 pages
 Reduce to essential themes
 Key take-aways
 Implications of
recommendations
Report considerations
 Reason for evaluation
 Program overview
 Evaluation questions
 Participant description
 Data collection tools and why
 Strengths/limitations
 Findings & implications
 Recommendations

12. Visuals:
Comparison charts

13. Visuals: highlight key points

14. Visuals: combine text with image

15. Beyond reports…Dissemination!
 News cast presentation
with stakeholders as
participants on the news
team
 Info-mmercial, pre-
recorded speculations,
debate
 Game to guess the
findings before the report
 Metaphors/comparisons: If
this report were a…it would
look like…
 YouTube clip to set the tone
 Cartoon or representative
object
 Report in: web friendly,
print friendly, key images
only

16. I am comfortable with using at
least one of these creative
dissemination ideas.
Agree or Disagree

17.  Get the stakeholders talking…
 How much are they personally interested in the
results? How much do they think the org should be
interested?
 What recommendations would they support, why?
 How many ways can you show the evidence?
 What are the costs, risks and benefits of the
recommendations?
 Who stands to gain or lose?
Engage and discuss

18. Follow up on recommendations
Climate for action:
 Realistic
 Unbiased
 Fact-based
 Hot data  cool approach
Actionable action:
 Priority
 Alignment
 Timing
 Purpose and scope
 Efficacy
 Type of action required

19.  PROCESS OF RECOMMENDATIONS ACCEPTENCE
GROWTH:
Story 1: Rejection of negative findings
Story 2: Surge forward after admitting the problem
Story 3: Results beyond recommendations:
- Line analysis
- Sexual harassment claim resolved
- Cafeteria changed
Story 4: Climate change as a result of training
Some case studies:
1. Olymel training evaluation results

20.  EVALUATION ISSUES:
VALIDITY & RELIABILITY:
- Employer partners did not fulfill obligations
- ITW partners were inconsistent in application of pilot
SCOPE:
- Most popular modules data good
- Least popular modules insufficient data
UNEXPECTED VARIABLES;
- International “viral” growth, low local adoption
Some case studies:
2. Work and Culture Online project

21.  INCIDENT APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION OF FINDINGS:
Incident 1: food safety
Incident 2: worker safety
Incident 3: climate of bullying and fear
Incident 4: insufficient training on critical processes
Problems explained through 4 key incidents to engage
stakeholders WITH company strengths to address problems.
Legal and ethical implications ignored by stakeholders.
Some case studies:
3. Meat processing plant

22. SYSTEMATIC RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS:
 Business results
- Sales promoted over profit, ruining company
- Owner interference needed to be mitigated
- Too many low return products
 Company climate results
- Attitude of caving to employee demands without addressing root
of problem
- Homogeneous group think mentality marginalized women and
visible minorities
 Strong technical and business thinking upper management but
weak understanding of people processes
Some case studies:
4. Manufacturing company business
evaluation

23. Questions and comments?
Use the chat box or
ask to speak and we will give you the mic

24. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!
Marie Gervais, PhD., CEO Shift
Management Inc.
marie@shiftworkplace.com
http://shiftworkplace.com
780 993 1062 c| 780 454 5661 o|
@shiftworkplace @workandculture
Shift thinking. Drive
learning. Get results.