Evaluation and Feedback: how to give and receive feedback

13 Oct 2026

Evaluation and Feedback is the last Level 1 project. As the name says, you learn how to give and receive evaluation, and the speeches are 5-7 minutes. Every speech at Toastmasters is followed by an evaluation, so receiving and giving feedback well is the heart of growing.

The project has three steps

1. You give your first speech and receive an evaluation.

2. You give a second speech, this time applying the feedback you received. You experience how an evaluation actually changes a speech.

3. Now you become the evaluator. You listen to someone else's speech and evaluate it yourself. Because you have just been evaluated, you know what kind of feedback helps.

A frame for good evaluation

Evaluation is not criticism; it is help for the next speech. Try this order.

1. What worked, specifically: when, what, and what effect it had.

For example: "When you paused for 3 seconds in the opening, everyone looked up."

2. One thing to change next time: don't list several, pick one.

3. How to change it: one concrete way.

For example: "Pause for 2 seconds right before your conclusion. Record yourself in practice to check."

4. Finish with encouragement.

Don't stop at "it was good" or "it was a pity." Talk about actions, not the person.

Receiving an evaluation (steps 1 and 2)

Say "thank you" first and listen. Don't explain or argue right away.
Write down what you hear and make sure to apply at least one thing in your second speech. You don't need to change a lot; one is enough.
It is fine to take time to decide whether to change something.

Preparing as an evaluator (step 3)

Before the speech, read the speaker's project and the official evaluation resource.
While you listen, note good moments and their times. Don't rely on memory alone.
When you speak, pick only the one or two most important notes.

In our club

SBTM meets on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month, and every speech has its own evaluator. A speaker chooses the path, Level 1 and Evaluation and Feedback in the app. You can sign up as an evaluator in the Roles tab. Since the third step of this project is evaluating, sign up as an evaluator and try it yourself.

Please check the official guide for the exact project requirements.

Official guide: Evaluation and Feedback (PDF)
Official evaluation resources: first speech (PDF), resource 2 (PDF), resource 3 (PDF)

That covers all four Level 1 projects. From Level 2, the projects depend on the path you choose.