Evaluating a Retreat

A retreat (sometimes called an ‘advance’) provides the opportunity for ideas and materials to be presented and discussed, for participation and the development of common understanding, for new ideas and directions to be explored, for getting to know people better and for forging a positive learning and working environment. As such, retreats have much in common with good teaching.

In order to evaluate a retreat, much can be learned from a simple qualitative survey. The Retreat Survey provides an example of such a survey that can be modified to meet a particular situation.

At the end of the retreat the convener hands out the questionnaire to all participants reinforcing that feedback on the retreat will be used for improvement. Delaying the survey until after the retreat can have the beneficial effect of allowing participants time to reflect but this is usually outweighed by the fact that an end of retreat survey will secure a better response rate.

To analyse the responses, work through all the questionnaires looking just at the first question. Note down each point that is made, and when the same point is repeated, note the number (or frequency) of times the point is made. Having worked through all responses to the first question, group the points together into a small number of categories and note the frequency for each category, then move to the second question and so on.

Present a short report on the evaluation. This can be a useful starting point for debriefing and planning for the next retreat.