EERE Program Evaluation

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) conducts program evaluations to assess whether programs are meeting planned goals and achieving commercialization and market results. Evaluations identify opportunities for efficient and effective management of public investments. Evaluations also identify opportunities to improve programs to more effectively and efficiently manage public investments.

This website provides information and resources to guide EERE Technology Offices and others through the program evaluation process and also describes EERE and Federal Government requirements for program evaluation.

Program evaluation is...

A systematic assessment using quantitative and/or qualitative data and analysis methods to answer specific questions about current or past programs, with the intent to assess their effectiveness and efficiency. Often, the term “program evaluation” and “evaluation” are used synonymously. Evaluations include the following:

• Systematic outcome and impact studies to assess whether a program is achieving its goals, and why, or why not.
• Periodic assessments of a program's progress, including process implementation studies to determine where and how to make improvements, improve efficiencies and ensure that the program is running as planned.

As a tool to support good management practice, evaluation helps inform key planning and budget decisions and enables managers to determine if adjustments are needed in program design to improve the rate or quality of achievement relative to the committed resources. Evaluations also help offices quantify achieved impacts.