Evaluation Matters

Core Parts of Evaluation Definition

100

Processes involved with implementing the activities of a program.

Operations

200

Results that occur during and after implementing a program.

Outcomes

300

Target that we use, implicitly or explicitly, to judge the merit or worth of a program.

Standard

People

100

Anyone who has an interest in or is involved with the operation or success of a program.

Stakeholder

200

An evaluator employed by the organization that operates a program.

Internal evaluator

300

An evaluator who is employed outside of the organization in which the program operates.

External evaluator

Types of Evaluation 1

100

Formative evaluation that focuses on what services are needed and who needs them.

Needs evaluation

200

Summative evaluation that measures both the intended and unintended outcomes of a program.

Impact evaluation

300

Summative evaluation aimed at measuring how well a program met its stated goals.

Outcome evaluation

Types of Evaluation 2

100

Summative evaluation that focuses on estimating the efficiency of a program in terms of dollar costs saved or dollar costs of outcomes measured.

Cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness evaluation

200

Formative evaluation aimed at understanding the operations of a program.

Process evaluation.

300

An evaluation approach based on continuous improvement, in which program processes and practices are examined and refined to improve outcomes.

Embedded evaluation