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Program Operations Guidelines for STD Prevention
Program Evaluation

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Appendix E-D

EVALUATION GLOSSARY

Evaluation: The process of determining whether programs—or certain aspects of programs—are appropriate, adequate, effective, and efficient.

Evaluation Types/Stages

Cost Analysis: The simplest form of economic evaluation which considers only the cost of the program.

Cost-Benefit Analysis: An evaluation of the relationship between program costs and outcomes expressed in monetary terms.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: An evaluation of the relationship between program costs and outcomes. Can be used to compare different interventions with the same outcomes to determine effectiveness.

Cost-Utility Analysis: An evaluation of the relationship between program costs and outcomes usually measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALY). Can be used to compare interventions with different outcomes.

Economic Evaluation: Evaluation that considers both the outcomes of a program and the cost of producing those outcomes.

Evaluability Assessment: A way of determining to what extent an evaluation is possible by examining program goals and objectives, available and collectable program data, and program activities.

Formative Evaluation: An evaluation designed to make sure that program plans, procedures, activities, materials, and modifications will work as planned.

Impact Evaluation: Examines the ultimate impact of a program on some type of community problem.

Needs Assessment: Used in program planning to plan for decisions about program implementation. It is a process by which information is collected from the target population or community in an effort to match the needs and wants of the target audience, the program organization, and the community.

Outcome Evaluation: An evaluation that measures changes the program has made in participants/clients based upon program objective.

Process Evaluation: An evaluation designed to assess how well the implementation of the program is going, such as the extent to which the program is operating consistently with objectives and procedures originally defined for them.

Program Monitoring: An element of process evaluation in which program activities are observed and recorded to ensure the quality and fidelity of daily program operations.

Evaluation Methods

Qualitative Methods: Ways of gathering data that are open-ended and descriptive and used to collect in-depth information from the target population. Examples: interviews, focus groups, observations, etc.

Quantitative Methods: Ways of gathering data (example surveys) that can be expressed numerically to collect information and draw conclusions about the changes the program had on participants.

Quasi-Experiments: An evaluation design/method where participants are not randomly assigned into groups.

Participatory: A more inclusive approach to evaluation that seeks out different levels of stakeholders to help shape evaluation design.

Randomized Trials: An evaluation design where participants are randomly/by chance assigned to groups that will either receive the program or not. This method is considered to produce the strongest evidence that the program contributed to changes in participants.

Other Evaluation Terminology

Activities: What the program does with the inputs to fulfill its goals.

Effectiveness: The extent to which a program was successful in producing a change among participants.

Inputs: Resources dedicated for program delivery. Examples are: money, staff, time, facilities, equipment, etc.

 

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