Drake English 313

Common Basic Evaluation Outline

1) Introduction: Context, Criteria, Summary:  Tell the reader Who, What, Where, Why, When, How

a) Analyze and Briefly Describe Context: Who, What, Where, When, Why

b) List and Describe Criteria: How: What were the expectations; what was he supposed to do? How was his performance measured; what was the means or method used to rate the performance? For example, a course syllabus describes the specific criteria upon which a student will be evaluated.  A job contract should describe the specific tasks the employee is expected to complete, as well as relevant deadlines for those tasks, numbers of hours worked etc.

Note that it is unethical to evaluate someone for criteria that he or she has not been previously notified of, so it's important that the evaluation quote directly from the original documents that outlined the expectations.

c) Executive Summary: Briefly summarize your major and most important findings/evaluation. 

2) Criteria Match Strengths: List specific evidence of improvement and success; always refer to specific actions, dates, assignments, projects, historical instances etc.; compare directly to specific criteria and expectations.  Summarize underlying strengths: what general abilities helped him achieve the given goals? (Examples: willingness to work long hours, make sacrifices, work well with others.  Note the importance of evidence: without specific facts or examples, your evaluation is relatively meaningless or valid.

3) Criteria Match Weaknesses: List specific evidence of weaknesses and incomplete work; always refer to specific actions, dates, assignments, projects, historical instances etc.; compare directly to specific criteria and expectations.  Note again the importance of evidence: without specific facts or examples, your evaluation is relatively meaningless or, more dangerously, fraudulent.

4) Numerical Summary:  All of this info is often boiled down to a score or grade of some sort to establish ranking etc.  It is imperative that the numerical score actually fits the evidence cited in the two sections above; you cannot rip an employee apart in the criteria match section and then award them a numerical score of 9/10, or, conversely, build them up with high praise and then simply award them a 7/10.

5) Summarize Toward Future Goals; Establish New Criteria; Build and Maintain Goodwill: Clarify current and future goals and expectations. What must be done to apply the strengths and ameliorate the weaknesses? How will you know in the future whether or not these future goals and expectations are being met; how will success and failure be measured in specific terms (projects, dates and deadlines, skills and abilities etc)?  Close with well developed goodwill stuff.