My name is Kylie Hutchinson and I’m an independent evaluator with Community Solutions Planning & Evaluation. Every year I adapt a Christmas carol to share with my colleagues and clients.
Season’s greetings, and enjoy!
Do You Read What I Read?
(sung to the tune of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”)
Said evaluator to the manager,
Do you hear what I hear?
Said in board rooms here and everywhere,
Do you hear what I hear?
Deci-sions made, with-out evidence,
It just doesn’t make any sense,
It just doesn’t make any sense.
Said the manager to evaluator,
Do you see what I see?
Sitting in my office everywhere,
Do you see what I see?
Stacks, and stacks, of boring long reports,
Why can’t you give me something that’s short?
Why can’t you give me something that’s short?
Said evaluator to the manager,
Listen to what I say,
I can give you just a two-pager,
Listen to what I say,
With lay-ering, it’s really up to you,
You can read as much as you choose,
You can read as much as you choose.
Said the manager to evaluator,
Do you know what I need?
Put your key findings in rever-se order,
Do you know what I need?
Recommenda-tions first, then put all the rest,
That would leave me much less stressed,
That would leave me much less stressed.
Said evaluator to the manager,
I will do as you say,
To promote use of eval everywhere,
I will do as you say,
Your time, your time, is valuable and short,
I won’t give you a lengthy report,
I won’t give you a lengthy report.
Rad Resource: For tips on more effective reporting and alternatives to the traditional report, check out my new book, A Short Primer on Innovative Evaluation Reporting.
Rad Resource: Liven’ up your office Christmas party with additional Christmas carols for evaluators and nonprofits.
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I enjoyed your piece and your strategy of using a Christmas carol to engage others and break the tension. I learned and increased my knowledge by observing the work of those who evaluated my programs. I found it very helpful when it came time to update or change the direction of my program.