The sixth step in Systematic Outcomes Analysis is considering your non high level outcome evaluation questions (this uses the Non High Level Outcome Evaluation Building Block (Evaluation[non-outcome])). These are evaluation questions which, in contrast to high level outcome evaluation, do not attempt to make a claim about whether a player/intervention is causing high level outcomes to change. They may, however, be making a claim about changes to mid-level outcomes. Names for aspects of this type of evaluation include: developmental, implementation, formative, process or descriptive evaluation.
Step 6.1 The focus of non high level outcome evaluation
6.1.1 Decide on what the focus of non high level evaluation activity will be and identify evaluation questions accordingly. Systematic Outcomes Analysis identifies seven possible areas of evaluation focus. Six of these are included in this non high level evaluation step. The first area of focus - high level outcomes - is dealt with in the previous step). The remaining six areas of evaluation focus are dealt with in this step and are:
6.1.1.1 Focus 2: Establishing whether a particular intervention has caused an improvement in mid-level outcomes (process evaluation). Doing this requires using one or more of the seven possible outcome evaluation designs identified in Systematic Outcomes Analysis here. In this case, they're being applied to mid-level rather than high-level outcomes (they were applied to high level outcomes in the previous step (Step 5)).
6.1.1.2 Focus 3: Describing an outcomes model that is actually being implemented in a specific instance (including estimating the cost of undertaking an intervention) (process evaluation).
6.1.1.3 Focus 4: Comparing an outcomes model being implemented with proposed outcomes model(s) (process evaluation)
6.1.1.4 Focus 5: Aligning an outcomes model being implemented with a proposed outcomes model or its enhancement (formative evaluation; best practice application)
6.1.1.5 Focus 6: Describing the different understandings, interpretations or meanings stakeholders have about an outcome model and its implementation
6.1.1.6 Focus 7: Describing the effect of the wider social, cultural, political, economic or other context on the implementation of an outcomes model.