Claims, Concerns and Issues

This is an evaluation tool used within Fourth generation evaluation (Guba and Lincoln) that can be used to collectively evaluate current practices / reflect on current progress with a change in practice / reflect on the effects of a change in practice. It generates knowledge that enables a team to collectively gather the perspectives of a range of stakeholders and to use that to either recognise or inspire the need for change or to refine change actions so that they are sustainable in everyday practice. It ensures that everyone has equal voice in the group and supports less vocal people to contribute to the discussion.

Identify aspect of practice / change initiative to be evaluated.
Invite the group (if face to face ask people to do this individually; you may have to adjust and ask people to contribute to the exercise over a couple of weeks to ensure you include everyone’s opinion)

Claims – ask participants what they claim is going well / they are doing well – a claim is a positive assertion and to write each claim statement on a separate Post–it.
Go round and take a Post it from each person in turn, asking them to repeat what is on it out loud for the group to hear. Invite people to discard any claims they have which repeats one someone else has contributed. Continue until all claims are captured and on flip chart / space on table/ wall
Concerns – invite the group to repeat the process for their concerns related to this part of practice / practice change.
Issues – ask the group to review all the claims/concerns and identify the issues that need attention. Issues are NOT the solution, instead they help individuals and the group focus on what matters most, what needs to be resolved and helps them prioritise their next steps. Ask participants to frame their issues as questions and place one question per Post it, repeating the process above.

It is usually helpful to frame questions as: How can we; What can we… e.g.
Claim: We are all completing the organisational documentation
Concern: I am concerned that we don’t use the information on this to continuously improve our service
Issue: How do we get better at using the information to continually improve our service?

  • Resources:Post its – all one colour, flip chart paper and marker pen, facilitator
  • Time:30-60 mins depending on size of group

We acknowledge these facilitation resources have been written by Vanessa Smith and Deborah Baldie, NHS Grampian. They have been adapted from activities in:

Dickson, C, MacDonald, K and Drummond, C. (2021). SEEDS: Supporting & Enhancing Empowerment & Development through Storytelling. Available at: https://www.qnis.org.uk/catalysts-for-change-seeds-project/

Dickson, CAW and MacDonald, K. (2023) Embedding storytelling in practice through CAKE – a recipe for team wellbeing and effectiveness. International Practice Development Journal Volume 13, Issue 1, Article 3 Available at: https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.131.003