How Do You Conduct A Program Evaluation?
A program evaluation employs social research methods to investigate the implementation and impact of public programs. Government agencies, school systems, nonprofit agencies operating grant-funded programs, public health organizations, and others – all conduct evaluations or contract with evaluation professionals. Program evaluation is rigorous, involving extensive research and analysis, but can reveal important findings that help agencies gauge program impact and improve services. Decide the purpose of your evaluation. Some program evaluations assess the program’s implementation so as to improve service delivery. Others gauge the extent to which the program has achieved its goals. Increasingly, most program evaluation is interested in a program’s impact, or its effects beyond the stated goals or objectives. Every public program, after all, has unintended effects, even if it achieves what it sets out to do. Develop a program evaluation plan. This plan organizes your evaluation, specifi
