Impact Assessment

Impact assessment is an evaluation focused on the outcomes or impact of a program, policy, organization, or technology. Impact assessments typically try to make a casual inference that connects the evaluand with an outcome. Empowerment evaluation regards impact assessments as a process for describing performance in a way that will influence change and improvement. Impact assessment is also referred to as outcome, impact, or summative evaluation. The latter focuses on the judgment of worth or merit of the evaluand. This form of evaluation contrasts with process or formative evaluation, in which the purpose is to describe how a program operates (process) or to provide feedback on program improvement.