Stage 2 - Criteria for success

In this stage the workshop focuses on the criteria for success in the evaluation. This is couched in terms of a question: “What needs to happen in order to achieve the agreed aim?” It is important to use accessible language and questions, hence “what needs to happen” instead of “what are the criteria of success”. It is important also for the evaluator to ensure that the language in the discussions is inclusive. This usually means asking for explanations and even getting the group to agree the banning of acronyms. Each group member is given five post-it notes and the group is asked individually to choose five things that need to happen and write one on each of the post-it notes. The participants then place their post-its on a flipchart. They are encouraged to bunch together notes which have the same criteria. The process allows the participants to see what others have written and to think. By writing the notes individually everyone's views are given equal weight. The evaluator then talks through the notes with the participants, seeking clarification as appropriate and the evaluator facilitates the group to agree the top things (Fetterman suggests ten to twenty) which need to happen. These are written up on a flipchart.