Measurement & Evaluation

Why Measure and Evaluate Your Group?

Local groups are a really important part of the EA movement, through directing funds, spreading EA ideas and changing people's careers. But, we can make an even bigger impact if we understand which strategies work best.

Possible Goals 

The goals of measurement and evaluation will be very dependent on your group, on how big it is, what types of events you hold, what purposes you hope to achieve etc. How much effort you put into evaluation, and exactly what to measure, is something that you should discuss with your core members, so that you can make sure what you get out is going to be valuable. 

From 2020-2022, CEA was focused on creating more highly-engaged EAs, and we generally recommended groups to consider making this a central goal of theirs as well. We've since moved away from focusing heavily on this metric, but groups can still consider using or modifying it. 

Highly-engaged EAs are people who create significant behavioural changes based on EA principles, such as shifting their career path and/or taking jobs or internships directly relevant to EA. 

As we mention on our Strategy page, it's important for groups to focus on their comparative advantage, so it's possible highly-engaged EAs may not be the best metric for you to track. Other possible goals for your group could be: 

Below we suggest metrics for these goals, how to collect data in relation to them, and how to interpret the data. 

Possible Metrics

No single metric is perfect, so it is better to collect a range of them, use the metrics as best as we can, and adapt what and how we collect information in response to feedback and changing circumstances.

Below are relevant questions for each of the four aforementioned stages of community-building, along with some of the most broadly-useful metrics to answer them. 

Suggestions for Collecting Data

Feedback Forms & Surveys

Here's an example of a survey to use after an event:

Examples of Write-Ups

These are write-ups from different local groups, evaluating the success of a range of activities. Writing up your quantitative and qualitative assessment of your activities may help you think through your future strategy plans. Sharing these write-ups with other groups can also be helpful to avoid the duplication of labour and to save repeat mistakes from being made.

Annual Reviews

EA London Impact Report 2018

EA London Impact Assessment 2017

EA Berkeley Reports (2015, 2016, 2017)

Giving What We Can + 80,000 Hours Cambridge Yearly Review ('16/'17)

80,000 Hours Cambridge Yearly Review ('15/'16)

Casual Reflections

Reflections on Running EA Seattle

Specific Activities

Review of CZEA "Intense EA Weekend" retreat 2018

Warwick Big Match Review 2016

Oxford Big Match Review 2013