How to Evaluator the RDG Way

Bring pen & paper to the meeting. Sit in a place that makes it easy to see the speaker you are assigned to.

Make sure the speaker gives you their manual or evaluation forms before the meeting starts. 

Consider using the CODE model for organizing your evaluation points. You can either use the worksheet in the resources section, or simply use a blank sheet of paper. For the latter option, on the top margin, include the title and some project details. Split the paper into large quadrants (four even spaces) with a segment reserved at the bottom 1/4th of the page. Label the top left section "Content", the top right section "Organization", the bottom left section "Delivery", and the bottom right section "Effectiveness/Everything Else". As the speaker progresses, make notes about aspects that stand out in the relevant sections (see below for some suggestions). Be sure to watch for both strengths and weaknesses.

You will not have time to talk about all the points that occur to you. You will want to consider the project objectives and speaker's objectives first and foremost. Make plus and minus marks next to the comments you have in your CODE quadrants; take the most relevant of these and circle them. In the lower reserved section, come up with 2-3 points per side (left side positive, right side negative) based on what you circled; pick out the most positive item you found and save that for the very bottom. 

When the General Evaluator calls you, transfer control, pause, then deliver your evaluation. A "template" you can use is the Good-Better-Best formula: Open, and give a brief executive summary of the speech objectives, followed by a concise roadmap of what you’ll review, then move into the good points, what needed improvement (what could be better), and close on the item the speaker did best. If there is a meeting theme, you can adapt your evaluation to fit it (e.g. if the theme is "The Olympics", the good points could be "Top Highlights", improvements could be "False Starts", and the best thing could be the "Gold Medal Moment"). 

For good points, make brief statements about why you thought they enhanced the speech (e.g. "Your eye contact was relaxed and focused; it gave me the impression you were comfortable and in command on stage"). For improvements, you may want to make brief statements about what you saw, how it impacted the speech, and possible ideas for improvement (e.g. "I noticed that you sometimes look up when you get unsure about where you're going to go in your speech. This can be slightly distracting. You may want to try simplifying your speech to make it easier to remember."). For the best item, make sure you explain why you thought it was the best aspect. 

To be sure you complete your evaluation in time, default to two positives, two negatives, and the best; if you have a small positive or negative that can be stated in under 10-15 seconds, you may include it, but keep it toward the end of that respective section so it can be dropped if you notice time is running out.

CODE Evaluation Sample Aspects to Watch For

Content

• Appropriate for the intended audience?
  
• Interesting to intended audience?
  
• Was any material not needed or could something be added to bolster the speech?
  
• Did the speaker focus on themselves or relate to the audience?
  
• Did the supporting material have logical and emotional appeal?
  
• If visual aids were used, what about their relevance, salience, and quality? If no visual aids, would some help?

Organization

• Was the speech easy to follow, flowing in a natural order?
• How were the transitions?
  
• Were the objectives clearly stated?
  
• Did you ever feel lost during the speech?

Delivery

• Evaluate vocal quality: Pitch, tone, rate, volume.
  
• Were there sufficient pauses? 
  
• Was the body language appropriate?
  
• Was there appropriate use of the stage?
  
• If visual aids were used, were they used smoothly, with no technical issues?
  
• What about eye contact? 
  

Effectiveness

• Did the speaker open and close in compelling ways? 
  
• Did you feel compelled to listen?
  
• Did you feel motivated to know more or take action because of the speech?
  
• Were the speaker’s objectives met?
  
• If the speaker was trying to motivate the audience to take action, do you feel they have the ability and knowledge to do so?