When does an evaluation need to be conducted?
When should an evaluation be conducted? This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated.
How are evaluations used in the public sector?
Evaluations can be used to inform changes to improve an intervention, and aid decision-making about future courses of action. Evaluation can also help to ensure public accountability and that best use is made of limited resources. Public health evaluations can vary in size and scope.
When is an evaluation too early in development?
In contrast, evaluations should not be conducted: if constant changes or modifications have been made to the intervention (because the evaluation could be premature and inconclusive) if the intervention is too early in development (unless the evaluation is designed as a formative evaluation with the aim of improving an intervention)
How are process evaluations different from outcome evaluations?
They do not primarily focus on outcomes but on how an intervention or service works. Process evaluations are often conducted alongside outcome evaluations (see above), and are usually used to evaluate complex interventions which have several components and are addressing multiple aims.
What do you need to know about an evaluation?
Taken together, you and your research team should know why the evaluation is being undertaken (i.e., performance measurement or improvement) and the type of evidence that would be sufficient for your program and stakeholders. By evidence, we generally mean information helpful in forming a conclusion or judgment.
How are evaluation results used in program planning?
Evaluation results can be used to maintain or improve program quality and to ensure that future planning can be more evidence-based. Evaluation constitutes part of an ongoing cycle of program planning, implementation, and improvement (Patton, 1987).
What’s the difference between Common Sense and scientific evaluation?
While common sense evaluation has a very long history, evaluation research which relies on scientific methods is a young discipline that has grown massively in recent years (Spiel, 2001). Evaluation is a systematic process to understand what a program does and how well the program does it.