The Evaluate stage provides a structured moment to step back from delivery and assess whether the Information Discovery Strategy is still working as intended. It runs on a term-based cadence and analyzes performance, market conditions, and student behavior over a longer period.
During the Evaluate stage, the team reviews how the strategy has performed over the term by reviewing changes in the Discovery Scorecard and connecting them to the initiatives delivered. The goal is to understand what influenced signals, the enrollment pipeline, and how different initiatives contributed to those outcomes.
The Evaluate stage also looks at the wider context around delivery. The team considers whether there have been meaningful changes in the market or in how students find information, build trust, and make decisions. This helps the institution judge whether the current strategy still reflects how students actually behave during discovery.
Decisions made in the Evaluate stage can update the Information Discovery Strategy for the next term. The team agrees on what should remain in place, what needs to change, whether research should be refreshed, and, if so, at what scope, and how initiatives should be adjusted for the next delivery cycle.
These updates are reflected in the strategy documentation and in the Delivery Plan recorded in the Delivery Workbook, and the next cycle of delivery begins from that updated foundation.
Evaluate Review Session
Purpose
Look back at term performance using the Discovery Scorecard and supporting evidence from analytics and CRM. Confirm what moved and what stayed flat in the signals, decide what should continue, stop, or change for the next term, and capture any new initiatives as proposals for future consideration.
Cadence:
In most institutions, the Evaluate Review session runs once per term, so it aligns with the planning and recruitment cycle and gives initiatives enough time to produce measurable movement in the signals.
Participants:
Those accountable for the Information Discovery Strategy and the overall Delivery Plan, owners of major initiatives, and those responsible for performance and insight. Specific roles will depend on the organization.
Format:
A virtual or in-person meeting is recommended, since the team needs to discuss tradeoffs and confirm changes. The session begins with a reading of the Discovery Scorecard for the term. It then reviews term outcomes and agrees on strategy and initiative decisions for the next term. As decisions are made, follow-up work is captured directly in the Delivery Workbook as updates to the Delivery Plan and as new or updated tasks.
Duration:
Typically 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of initiatives and the scope of the term review.
Inputs:
- The Discovery Scorecard for the term highlights what moved and what stayed flat across the identified signals.
- Previous monthly reports with relevant data to inform the latest stage of the strategy evaluation.
- Supporting evidence from analytics and CRM, including funnel movement where available.
- Initiative level view from the Delivery Workbook, including tags for the Discovery Journey stage and IDO™ pillar.
- Summary of what has happened over the term, including progress, performance signals, student behavior, and internal feedback.
- Any notable changes in 6Ms that affected delivery during the term.
Key questions:
- What moved and what stayed flat across the signals this term?
- What likely drove the main changes in the signals?
- Does the current Information Discovery Strategy still reflect how students are finding, trusting, and choosing this term?
- Which initiatives should continue into the next term, and which should stop or change?
- What initiative shifts are needed for the next term based on term outcomes?
- Are there any new initiatives we should capture as proposals for future consideration?
Outputs:
- A Discovery Performance Report summarizing the performance of the whole information discovery strategy during that planning cycle, including gains and drops in visibility, trust, and conversions (including leads, applications, enrollments, and yield).
- Strategy decisions for the next term, including what stays and what changes in the Information Discovery Strategy.
- Initiative decisions for the next term, including what continues, what changes, and what stops.
- Updated Delivery Plan recorded in the Delivery Workbook for the next term.
- New initiatives captured as proposals, reviewed through the next planning cycle before being added.
By the end of the Evaluate Review session, all team members should walk away knowing:
- What moved and what stayed flat across the signals over the term?
- What likely caused the main changes, and what remains unclear.
- Whether the Information Discovery Strategy needs to be changed for the next term.
- Which initiatives will continue, change, or stop for the next term, and why?
- What proposals have been captured for future consideration?
Over time, this term review turns the scorecard into a feedback system for the Information Discovery Strategy. Signals that consistently help explain changes in inquiry, application, yield, and enrollment are strengthened and resourced, while weak or noisy indicators are reconsidered to keep the scorecard useful as a decision tool.
Together, the Discovery Scorecard and the Discovery Performance Report give leadership a disciplined way to use student behavior to guide priorities, investments, and change.
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