Entry
Entries A-Z
Process Evaluation
Researchers evaluating programs gather information about program outcomes by answering questions such as “Did the program achieve its goals?” and “Was the effect of the program substantial?” This kind of evaluation (sometimes called summative evaluation) is clearly important. Equally important is the evaluation of the processes the program followed in trying to achieve its goals. A process evaluation is also called an implementation evaluation and sometimes a formative evaluation. Outcomes evaluations tell you what was accomplished; process evaluations tell you how it was accomplished. Knowing the “bottom line” is necessary but not sufficient. To use what was learned from one program to plan or to improve other programs, you need to know about both outcomes and processes. Process evaluations are widely used in most ...