Evaluation: PowerPoint - The Good and The Ugly

Below are links to two different articles on the use of Power Point. Edward Tufte offers a searing commentary on the use of PowerPoint by NASA in making decisions about safety and how lack of information, as a direct results of slides being presented versus a thorough report, resulted in the fatal decision to send the Challenger into orbit. Hammes’ article further explore the use of PowerPoint and identifies its weakness as a decision making tool. He does, however, offer insight as to when PowerPoint may be an appropriate choice – information (as opposed to decision) briefs and operational decisions that need to be made quickly.

I agree with the views of both men, that PowerPoint should not be used for decision making purposes, but serves a very useful way of presenting information. I’ve further adopted Tufte’s (and Stephen Few’s) suggestions about presenting data to make my PowerPoint even more useful. As an evaluator, I’ve started sharing a PowerPoint of all of my data displays I plan to use in my final report with the evaluation stakeholders. We review the data and I ensure that with little explanation they are able to identify the data of greatest importance denoted on each slide, and that these data address the questions they have about the evaluation.

By doing this I have accomplished three things:

1. I have ensured that my clients and evaluation stakeholders have reviewed all data pre-report and understand the findings;
2. I have identified any additional questions they may have for me to further explore with the data; and
3. I have initiated a process whereby the data cannot be ignored. Even if my report is put on a shelf I know that they have interacted with the data and thus are more likely to utilize the data.

Next I develop my report around the questions of critical importance, using the data tables and graphs I have already developed to identify critical findings. I then narrate the PowerPoint I originally developed by identifying questions each slide answers or pointing out data findings. The report and PowerPoint are both final products I can then provide to my client. He or she can share whichever one they want with staff, Board members, etc., deciding for him or herself which one will have the greatest impact with which person.

So far, by taking these steps, I have improved my clients’ ability to understand data findings, increased the likelihood that the data findings will be used by the client and stakeholders, and addressed the need for multiple reports for multiple audiences. My clients have been quite pleased and, as an independent consultant, this is certainly one of my goals.

Amy A. Germuth, Ph.D.
EvalWorks, LLC

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PowerPoint does Rocket Science – and Better Techniques for Technical Reports – E. Tufte
http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001yB&topic_id=1

Dumb-dumb Bullets – T.X. Hammes
http://www.afji.com/2009/07/4061641