So, you’ve decided you want to evaluate your programme. Firstly, you need to consider the main issues at hand and the stage of programme development. These will help you identify the methods and the type of evaluation that best suits your purposes.
Here are the 4 types of Programme Evaluation
Process/Implementation:
These are the most frequently used. This type of evaluation assesses inputs, activities and outputs, ensuring adherence to implementation design as well as regulatory and statutory requirements. It is helpful to perform these evaluations throughout the programme life.
Outcome:
Want to understand how well your established programme is meeting its objectives? Outcome evaluations are your best choice, making sure to consider unintended outcomes as well.
Cost-Benefit:
Are you getting the best value for your programme costs? You can use this type of evaluation to compare outputs and/or benefits with costs. You can then deduce a ratio of cost to benefit. However, this assessment can be challenging as both costs and benefits can be difficult to assess, especially if there isn’t a lot of granular data routinely collected on both.
Impact:
These measure the long-term net effect of a programme, comparing results of the programme with groups that did not receive the services of the programme. It requires that appropriate “treatment” and “control” groups be identified from the design phase and data collected on both groups. One challenge of this type is that all other potential causes for the outcome should be excluded (or measured).
Ultimately though, all programme evaluations require rigorous planning, careful execution, thoughtful analysis and thorough reporting. Do you still need help deciding on the type of programme evaluation that you need? Perhaps you just need help with execution. In either case, EvaluCore is here to help. Contact us to set up a meeting.
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