Program evaluation is an assessment, or approach, used internally or externally, to measure the merit of a program. VIP Research and Evaluation has worked with many organizations over the past three decades and have utilized a tried and proven approach.

While it is obviously important to measure the outcomes of programs, our approach to program evaluation considers factors beyond outcome measures. We also think it is critical to investigate context, input, process, and in most cases, sustainability. This approach allows us to formulate a well-rounded evaluation plan and identify reasons for a program’s or initiative’s success or failure. It also allows evaluators to determine, or at least obtain, a better understanding of what works best, what doesn’t work so well, what needs to be improved, and what needs to be completely rethought. Although all five core components are important in uncovering the entire story, evaluating process and outcomes to measure the achievement of specific goals and objectives will be most important because they can be more readily addressed. As evaluators, our ultimate goal is to demonstrate whether or not the program under investigation has an impact on the target population(s). Moreover, if the program is deemed to have an impact, we need to be able to identify the specific contributions to this impact and the reasons for them. Conversely, if the program is not having the desired impact, we want to be able to identify what is not working so well and the reasons for any deficits. To do this, we utilize logic models to show the path from a program’s mission, core values, goals and objectives to inputs, activities, and strategies, to ultimately, short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes.

Much like our approach to needs assessments, we triangulate various methods of data collection to strengthen our research conclusions, such as in-depth interviews, surveys, focus groups, and document review. Combined with secondary data, this evaluation approach is both robust and necessary for an accurate evaluation.

Evaluations can be either formative or summative in nature depending on the needs of the client. Either approach will identify successful strategies and yield implications and recommendations for program improvement (the goal of evaluation). We arm program leadership with the information they need to be able to ascertain if their program is on the right track, given their mission and specific goals and objectives. Results of the evaluation will further assist leadership in developing an action plan addressing any identified issues.