Knowra Program evaluation Program evaluation Program evaluation is the systematic assessment of a policy or intervention’s design, implementation, outcomes, and effects. It uses evidence to judge performance and inform decisions about improvement, continuation, or expansion.
Theory of change : A model linking an intervention’s activities to its expected outcomes through explicit causal steps and assumptions. It makes the program’s assumptions explicit so evaluation can test whether the proposed pathway holds.
Evaluation question : A focused question specifying what an evaluation will assess and for whom, where, and when. Clear questions determine which evidence and methods are relevant.
Needs assessment : A systematic study of a population’s needs, existing services, and gaps before or during program planning. It tests whether a proposed intervention addresses a documented need.
Randomized controlled trial : An experiment that randomly assigns participants or units to intervention and comparison conditions. It can estimate causal effects, but is one design among several used in evaluation.
Logic model : A diagram or description connecting program resources, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes. It organizes what the evaluation measures, from delivered services to longer-term results.
Indicator : A measurable variable used to represent a condition, activity, output, or outcome. Indicators translate program goals into evidence that can be collected and interpreted.
Formative evaluation : An assessment conducted during program development or early implementation to guide improvement. It supports changes while the intervention is still being designed or delivered.
Quasi-experiment : A study estimating intervention effects without random assignment, using comparison strategies to address confounding. It offers causal evidence when random assignment is infeasible or inappropriate.
Implementation evaluation : An assessment of how an intervention is delivered, including its reach, fidelity, and local adaptation. It distinguishes failures of delivery from failures of the program’s underlying design.
Outcome measurement : The systematic measurement of changes in conditions or behaviors associated with an intervention. It establishes what changed before asking whether the program caused that change.
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