Program evaluation

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Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs,^[1] particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency.

In both the public sector and private sector, as well as the voluntary sector, stakeholders might be required to assess—under law or charter—or want to know whether the programs they are funding, implementing, voting for, receiving or opposing are producing the promised effect. To some degree, program evaluation falls under traditional cost–benefit analysis, concerning fair returns on the outlay of economic and other assets; however, social outcomes can be more complex to assess than market outcomes, and a different skillset is required. Considerations include how much the program costs per participant, program impact, how the program could be improved, whether there are better alternatives, if there are unforeseen consequences, and whether the program goals are appropriate and useful.^[2] Evaluators help to answer these questions. Best practice is for the evaluation to be a joint project between evaluators and stakeholders.^[3]

A wide range of different titles are applied to program evaluators, perhaps haphazardly at times, but there are some established usages: those who regularly use program evaluation skills and techniques on the job are known as Program Analysts; those whose positions combine administrative assistant or secretary duties with program evaluation are known as Program Assistants, Program Clerks (United Kingdom), Program Support Specialists, or Program Associates; those whose positions add lower-level project management duties are known as Program Coordinators.

The process of evaluation is considered to be a relatively recent phenomenon. However, planned social evaluation has been documented as dating as far back as 2200 BC.^[4] Evaluation became particularly relevant in the U.S. in the 1960s during the period of the Great Society social programs associated with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.^[5][6] Extraordinary sums were invested in social programs, but the impacts of these investments were largely unknown.^{[citation needed]}

Program evaluations can involve both quantitative and qualitative methods of social research. People who do program evaluation come from many different backgrounds, such as sociology, psychology, economics, social work, as well as political science subfields such as public policy and public administration who have studied a similar methodology known as policy analysis. Some universities also have specific training programs, especially at the postgraduate level in program evaluation, for those who studied an undergraduate subject area lacking in program evaluation skills.^[7]