Programs must be evaluated to decide if they are indeed useful to constituents. Program evaluation is the process of collecting information about a program or some aspect of a program in order to make necessary decisions about the program.
Program evaluation can include any or a variety of at least 35 different types of evaluation, such as for needs assessments, accreditation, cost/benefit analysis, effectiveness, efficiency, formative, summative, goal-based, process, outcomes, etc. The type of evaluation you undertake to improve your programs depends on what you want to learn about the program.
The "20-80" rule applies here, that 20% of effort generates 80% of the needed results. It's better to do what might turn out to be an average effort at evaluation than to do no evaluation at all. Far too many program evaluations generate information that is either impractical or irrelevant -- if the information is understood at all.
HELEN J. WYTHE & Associates can assist your group to carry out a program evaluation in a realistic and practical fashion. We can help you identify what information needs to be collected, which methods to use, how to analyze and interpret the information. For more on Program Evaluation >>
