Evaluations

CCW Organization Notebook provided by the Joliet Diocesan CCW

 

Evaluations are an important concern of every business AND organization!  After all a business can evaluate a new product by how well it sells – a $ amount.  For organizations, especially a volunteer service organization, such as Council of Catholic Women, the “how well it sells” evaluation has to be more subjective, though just as necessary.

The meeting after every program, service, or project should include - as part of the ‘Unfinished Business’ part of the agenda - time for an evaluation of it.  For some programs, it could be quite simple; other programs may need a more in-depth evaluation.  Here are some typical components of a program evaluation:

1.      Publicity – Enough?  In the proper places?  Reaching the desired group(s)?

2.      Was the location or room suitable? Set up properly (chairs, sign-in table, food & beverage space, podium, other)?

3.      Attendance – Good/Poor?  Any extenuating circumstances?  Can any of these be changed (e.g., if your program was at the same time as another, could you change the time?)

4.     Hospitality – Was everyone greeted? Were special greetings extended to first-timers, or seldom-seen guests?  Was the food and beverage provided sufficient and suited to the occasion?

5.      Speaker/program – Did the attendees enjoy the program?  Did they learn from it, or were entertained by it?  Did they have an opportunity to participate with questions, etc.?  If it was a service project, did they actually have a hands-on opportunity to help?

6.      Is there a rotating committee to handle the set-up/clean-up, or is it always – especially the clean-up - left to the same few?

 

Another way to do an evaluation is to list the above, perhaps including other components of a program on a chart, with a column next to each; individuals or groups can then put a mark in the column:  ✔ for “Did well” or for “Do Better”.  This is especially effective for larger groups if the list is placed on a flipchart or blackboard, and the whole group agrees on the “Did Well/Do Better”.

 

Occasionally, especially if your council has board meetings apart from a business portion of a general membership meeting, you might consider reversing the usual order of business, and do the evaluations at the beginning of the meeting, so ample time can be devoted to the evaluation.  Often, if “Unfinished Business” comes at the end of a long meeting, women may be too rushed to devote sufficient time to evaluations.

 

Another evaluation every council should do at least annually is a ‘General Council Evaluation’to assess the image, effectiveness and outreach of your CCW.  Typical questions for this evaluation should be prepared in advance and might include:

1.      Are we seeing new attendees at our meetings/programs?  What are we doing to encourage new members?

2.      Do we have several new members on our board each year?  Do we provide off-board or part-time leadership opportunities?

3.      Do we have two or more factions which disrupt harmony?

4.      Do fund-raising and social activities take precedence over action and education in commission areas?

5.      Are intellectual activities and projects neglected?

6.      Is there little or no interaction and/or collaboration with other groups in the parish or groups outside the parish?

7.      Are new projects seldom or never undertaken?

8.      Is cooperation with Deanery/Diocese/NCCW minimal or non-existent?

9.      Do only a few members attend Deanery/Diocesan meetings which provide education and information on subjects of concern to church and community?

Two other evaluations: ‘Evaluation of Membership…Techniques’, and ‘Evaluation of Group Action’ are found in succeeding pages of the Manual footnoted below.