Program Evaluation 101

• Planning: Evaluation supports effective project design by identifying strategies to
best meet its goals.
• Implementation: It monitors progress to understand how the initiative is taking
shape, as well as highlights early successes and challenges to guide real-time
adjustments.
• Closing: Evaluation assesses overall project, draws insights from wins and setbacks,
and uncovers unintended outcomes helping to tell the full story behind the data.

Evaluation is more than data tracking and improvement science. It considers context to explain outcomes and offer actionable suggestions to improve ongoing and future program efforts.

Evaluation values every voice. Participant feedback provides vital insight into what is going well and what is not. This information guides program adjustments, improving communication, logistical support, and resource allocation and utilization and helping to efficiently and effectively address the target community's needs.

Evaluation can take many forms, tailored to fit various goals and settings.
Oftentimes, using a mixed methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods, like surveys or interviews, is used to get the full picture of the program’s impact.

A dedicated evaluation expert is not always necessary to incorporate evaluation into their project. Teams can embed evaluative practices into their work, such as probing reflection questions about program effectiveness into existing surveys, to gather valuable insights over time.