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Evaluation Designs

Note: Child Welfare Information Gateway provides this information as a resource. Our library does not define or endorse specific criteria for program evaluations.

• Evaluating program outcomes
• Planning for outcome evaluations
• Evaluation designs
• Collecting & analyzing data
• Using & communicating evaluation results

The design of an outcome evaluation determines what you will measure and when you will measure it. Designs range in complexity and rigor. The most rigorous evaluations provide the most confidence that the program interventions directly resulted in the outcomes.

Measuring change

Outcome evaluations measure changes in participants that are relevant to the program's services. Taking measures before and after the program is often called pre- and post-test. For example, a home-based child abuse prevention program may measure a child's risk of harm before and after the program interventions.

Assessing program influence on outcomes

To assess whether or not factors other than the program interventions influenced the outcomes, evaluations should compare measures of the program participants with measures taken of comparison or control groups. These designs are generally called quasi-experimental and experimental designs. For example, a mental health program may assign some clients to the intervention being evaluated and compare their results with clients not receiving the intervention.

Linking outcomes to services

A process evaluation must be conducted to fully understand the results of an outcome evaluation. This involves systematic documentation of the program's services and participants. A process evaluation may help you understand which services had a greater influence on the outcomes and if service delivery differed from the original plan.

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Updated on December 7, 2007