Why evaluate programs?
Program evaluations are increasingly important for a variety of reasons. Program evaluations can:
- Provide information to stakeholders and sponsors such as the effects, potential limitations, or apparent strengths of the program.
- Determine the need of continued funding
- Indicate the program’s impact on participants
- Discover problems or needs early to prevent more serious problems later
- Reveal which program activities to continue and which ones to end
- Recommend improvements for the future
- Ensure quality
- Build client confidence about purchasing, participating, or using the program.
- Inform staff about the program
- Participating staff gain knowledge and understanding of the program
- In addition, they learn how to conduct an effective evaluation and may be more willing to facilitate future evaluations themselves.
- Assist in prioritizing resources by identifying program components that are most effective or critical.
- Help in the planning and delivery of organizational actions by providing diagnostic information before any future action is taken
Learn more about
Program evaluation process
Program
evaluation best practices
