Program Evaluation Basics

What is program evaluation?

This phase involves tracking the progress of the program and making any necessary adjustments to keep the program on track. This includes monitoring budgets, schedules, and other metrics to ensure the program is meeting its goals.

Program execution and evaluation are closely related. They could be seen as one phase, but it is worth calling out the need to make space for evaluation.

Inputs and outputs

Let’s look at the inputs and outputs of this phase.

Inputs:

• Program goals from the charter

• Program progress from the plan

Outputs:

• Improvements on the program objectives or program plan

• Improvements on how we operate the program

• Confirmation that the program team is on the right track

• Communication to stakeholders

What are we evaluating?

There are multiple aspects of the program that you may want to evaluate. Ultimately, you want to get a feel for whether or not the investment into the program is returning enough value to justify continuing the program.

There are two main aspects to consider:

• Outcomes: These are usually lagging indicators of success. A lagging indicator of success is a metric that measures the outcome of a particular process or activity after it has occurred. Lagging indicators provide a historical view of performance and are used to measure the results of past actions or decisions.

• Outputs: These are leading indicators of success. A leading indicator of success is a metric that measures the progress or potential of a particular ...