What is Program Evaluation?
Program evaluation is both science and art. Program evaluation answers some fundamental questions about healthcare, social, education, and other services. How was the program implemented? Did the implementation work in the intended way? Did the program meet its stated goals and objectives? What outcomes did the program produce? Did the program have lasting impact? It is not only important to find the answers to questions such as these, but to also identify the reasons for these results and to understand why things did or did not turn out as planned.
As a science, program evaluation makes use of established research methods with quantitative and qualitative data to permit the evaluator to deduce the effects of the program. As an art, an experienced evaluator will use clinical judgment derived from work with similar programs to understand what is special or deficient in a program and how to assure and improve the quality of the services.
Program evaluation can help your organization assess and understand the services it funds or provides.
Our Approach
The Measurement Group balances listening to clients, the professional judgment of experienced evaluators, scientific methods, and the perspective of working with healthcare and social service programs for more than 20 years.
Our approach is highly collaborative. We see ourselves as partners with our client organizations. We have actively avoided a model often used by consultants where an “outside expert” comes in and tells the client what to do.
We see program evaluation as a way to share program successes, backed by rigorous research methods and theory.