"Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency."
Learn the skills needed to evaluate, monitor, and measure the impact of nonprofit programs and services.
Introduction to Program Evaluation: Understanding the basics of program evaluation, its importance, and different types of program evaluations.
Logic Model: Creating a logic model to plan, implement and evaluate a program.
Performance Measures: Identifying key performance indicators and metrics to measure program effectiveness.
Data Collection Methods: Selecting appropriate data collection methods for program evaluation, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
Data Analysis: Analyzing program data to identify program strengths, areas for improvement, and impact.
Evaluation Ethics: Ethical considerations and best practices in program evaluation, such as confidentiality and informed consent.
Reporting and Presenting Results: Communicating program evaluation findings in a clear and concise manner to decision-makers and stakeholders.
Continuous Program Improvement: Using program evaluation results to continually improve program effectiveness.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Examining program benefits and cost-effectiveness to determine the program's overall value.
Impact Evaluation: Assessing the program's impact on the intended beneficiaries and broader community.
Evaluation Planning: Developing a comprehensive evaluation plan to guide the program evaluation process.
Program Monitoring: Conducting ongoing program monitoring to ensure it stays on track towards meeting its goals.
Stakeholder Engagement: Involving stakeholders in program evaluation to ensure their needs and perspectives are considered.
Evaluation Design: Developing a rigorous evaluation design to ensure the program evaluation is methodologically sound.
Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis: Collecting and analyzing qualitative data, such as narratives and case studies, to provide rich and contextualized program evaluation findings.
Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis: Collecting and analyzing numerical data, such as surveys and statistical analysis, to provide robust program evaluation findings.
Evaluation Capacity Building: Building the capacity of an organization to conduct program evaluations internally.
Theory of Change: Developing a theory of change to explain the program's pathway to achieving its intended outcomes.
Program Theory: Developing a program theory to explain how a program works and the mechanisms behind it.
Action Research: Applying a participatory approach to program evaluation to engage key stakeholders in evaluating and improving the program.
Outcome Evaluation: Measures the achievement of desired results or outcomes of a program.
Process Evaluation: Assesses how a program is implemented and whether program procedures are being followed.
Impact Evaluation: Shows the effect a program has on its target population or environment.
Needs Assessment: Determines the gaps in services or programs and determines the needs of the target population.
Formative Evaluation: Helps to improve a program by identifying and addressing problems during program implementation.
Summative Evaluation: Measures the overall effectiveness of a program at its conclusion.
Comparative Evaluation: Compares different programs or interventions to determine which one is more effective.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Evaluates the costs and benefits of a program to determine whether it is worth the resources and expenses.
Retrospective Evaluation: Assesses a program after it has already been completed and is often used to plan future projects.
Participatory Evaluation: Involves key stakeholders in evaluating a program, including staff, participants, and community members.
"To some degree, program evaluation falls under traditional cost–benefit analysis, concerning fair returns on the outlay of economic and other assets; however, social outcomes can be more complex to assess than market outcomes, and a different skillset is required."
"Considerations include how much the program costs per participant, program impact, how the program could be improved, whether there are better alternatives, if there are unforeseen consequences, and whether the program goals are appropriate and useful."
"Best practice is for the evaluation to be a joint project between evaluators and stakeholders."
"A wide range of different titles are applied to program evaluators... Program Analysts, Program Assistants, Program Clerks (United Kingdom), Program Support Specialists, or Program Associates, Program Coordinators."
"Evaluation became particularly relevant in the U.S. in the 1960s during the period of the Great Society social programs associated with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations."
"Extraordinary sums were invested in social programs, but the impacts of these investments were largely unknown."
"People who do program evaluation come from many different backgrounds, such as sociology, psychology, economics, social work, as well as political science subfields such as public policy and public administration."
"Some universities also have specific training programs, especially at the postgraduate level in program evaluation, for those who studied an undergraduate subject area lacking in program evaluation skills."
"Program evaluations can involve both quantitative and qualitative methods of social research."
"Stakeholders might be required to assess—under law or charter—or want to know whether the programs they are funding, implementing, voting for, receiving or opposing are producing the promised effect."
"Evaluators help to answer these questions."
"The process of evaluation is considered to be a relatively recent phenomenon. However, planned social evaluation has been documented as dating as far back as 2200 BC."
"...to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency."
"Social outcomes can be more complex to assess than market outcomes, and a different skillset is required."
"...how the program could be improved, whether there are better alternatives..."
"Considerations include how much the program costs per participant... concerning fair returns on the outlay of economic and other assets."
"If there are unforeseen consequences..."
"Best practice is for the evaluation to be a joint project between evaluators and stakeholders."
"...whether the program goals are appropriate and useful."