programevaluation

Program evaluation is a systematic process for assessing the design, implementation, and outcomes of a program, policy, or project to determine its merit, worth, and significance. It is typically conducted to inform decisions, improve effectiveness, justify resource use, and knowledgeably share lessons with stakeholders. Evaluation can focus on different stages (planning, delivery, results) and on different aspects (process, outcomes, impacts).

The main purposes of program evaluation include accountability to funders and participants, guidance for program improvement, and evidence for policy or investment decisions. Stakeholders such as program staff, funders, participants, and policymakers are usually involved in defining questions, selecting methods, and using results. Evaluations aim to be timely and useful, balancing rigor with practical constraints.

Evaluators use a range of approaches and designs. Formative evaluation examines the program during development or implementation to improve quality, while summative evaluation assesses merit and outcomes after implementation. Types include process evaluation, aimed at how a program is delivered; outcome evaluation, examining whether intended results occurred; and impact evaluation, attributing observed changes to the program. Methods combine quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys, interviews, case studies, document analysis, observation, and, when feasible, quasi-experimental or experimental designs.

Standards for program evaluation emphasize utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy. Ethical considerations include protecting participants’ rights and privacy, transparency about limitations, and responsible reporting. Program evaluation is commonly part of broader monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and is used across sectors such as education, health, nonprofit administration, and government.