"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."
How nonprofits develop, evaluate and measure the impact of their programs and services.
Program Planning: The process of designing programs that align with organizational goals and objectives, including needs assessment, goal setting, and developing strategies for implementation.
Program Logic Models: A visual representation of how a program works to achieve desired outcomes, outlining key inputs, activities, outputs, and short- and long-term outcomes.
Program Evaluation: The process of gathering data and analyzing program performance to determine its effectiveness, efficiency, and impact on the target population.
Quantitative Research Methods: Techniques for collecting and analyzing numerical data, including statistical analysis, survey design, and experiments.
Qualitative Research Methods: Techniques for collecting and analyzing non-numerical data, including interviews, focus groups, and observation.
Data Collection and Management: Techniques for collecting, organizing, and managing data, including databases, spreadsheets, and software tools.
Performance Measurement: The process of tracking program performance over time using specific indicators and metrics, and making adjustments to improve performance.
Stakeholder Engagement: The process of involving stakeholders in program planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure their needs and perspectives are taken into account.
Impact Assessment: The process of evaluating the long-term impact of a program on the target population and broader community.
Program Sustainability: Strategies for maintaining program effectiveness and viability over time, including funding, staffing, and partnerships.
Outcome-based Program Evaluation: This type of evaluation focuses on determining whether programs achieve their intended outcomes and its impact on the participants.
Formative Program Evaluation: Formative evaluation is conducted during each stage of program design, implementation, and development to improve the program's performance.
Impact Evaluation: An Impact evaluation is one that aims to determine the long-term outcomes of a program, often using statistical methods to determine its effectiveness.
Cost-benefit analysis (CBA): CBA is an economic method of evaluating programs that compares the costs of a program to its potential benefits.
Performance Evaluation: Performance evaluation assesses how well the program is performing with respect to predefined criteria, such as objectives, goals, and standards.
Process Evaluation: A process evaluation assesses program implementation, efficiency, and effectiveness by analyzing the processes involved in producing intended outcomes.
Participatory Evaluation: Participatory evaluation involves stakeholders in the evaluation process to make sure their perspectives are considered and to strengthen their ownership of the evaluation results.
Quasi-experimental Evaluation: A quasi-experimental evaluation design involves comparison groups to compare the treatment and the control conditions of the program or intervention.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT): RCTs involve random assignment to treatment and control groups, aiming to determine causal relationships between the program and its outcomes.
Rapid Evaluation: Rapid evaluation is conducted in a short period or a flexible manner, typically when time is limited, or there is a need to quickly assess the program's effectiveness.
"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."