Impact and Evaluation Officer Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Most Impact and Evaluation Officer interviews in the UK follow a pattern, and knowing it beats guessing. Below are eight questions from our bank of 12, each with a note on what the interviewer is really after.

Eight Impact and Evaluation Officer interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. How would you design a survey to measure the outcomes of a programme, and how do you make sure the questions are reliable?

Why they ask: Survey design is the bread and butter of the role and badly written questions produce useless data.

2. What is the difference between outputs, outcomes and impact, and how would you evidence each for a charity service?

Why they ask: This is a fundamental distinction in the sector and a common test of whether candidates truly understand evaluation.

3. How would you analyse and present qualitative data from interviews and focus groups?

Why they ask: Evaluation officers need mixed-methods skills, and qualitative analysis is often where rigour is weakest.

4. What is Social Return on Investment, and what are its strengths and limitations?

Why they ask: SROI is widely used by funders and commissioners, and they want a balanced, informed view.

5. How do you handle consent, confidentiality and ethics when collecting data from vulnerable participants?

Why they ask: Evaluation involves sensitive data, and mistakes can harm participants and the charity.

6. Your analysis shows a flagship programme is not producing the outcomes the charity has told funders it achieves. What do you do?

Why they ask: Integrity and courage in reporting negative findings is a key test for this role.

7. Tell me about a time you used evaluation findings to change how a service was delivered.

Why they ask: The purpose of evaluation is improvement, so they want evidence of influencing decisions.

8. What does a typical week look like for an impact and evaluation officer, and why does this work appeal to you?

Why they ask: They want to check you understand the blend of data, relationships and communication in the role.

A sample answer to question 1

How would you design a survey to measure the outcomes of a programme, and how do you make sure the questions are reliable?

I would begin with the outcomes the programme claims to achieve, then write questions to measure each one, preferring validated scales where they exist, such as the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale or the ONS4 personal wellbeing questions, because they allow comparison with national data. For bespoke items I keep wording short and neutral, avoid double-barrelled or leading questions, and use consistent response scales. I would match the language and format to participants, offering easy read, translated or verbal versions, and pilot the survey with a handful of people to check understanding and timing. I would ask at baseline and at the end, so we can measure change, and consider a follow-up to see if it lasts. I would keep it short to protect response rates and explain how the data will be used, with an option to skip questions. Finally, I would check data quality, looking at missing responses and straight-lining.

Common mistake to avoid: Writing leading or double-barrelled questions; Making surveys too long

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 12 questions are on the Impact and Evaluation Officer interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.