Today, more than ever before, shifting social, economic, and political dynamics is forcing policy-makers, program-developers and stakeholders to continuously evaluate their programs or risk failure. An evaluation, according to Fink (1995), is a thorough investigation of a program’s fundamental characteristics and merits. The importance of program evaluation in the policy cycle can never be underestimated.
Among other things, an evaluation provides formative feedback that inarguably assists to guide the program during the implementation phase. A program evaluation also provides summative information that demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the program towards achieving its stated goals and objectives (Royse et al., 2010). This information is fundamentally needed to create an enabling environment through which policy-makers can optimize the outcomes, overall efficiency, and quality of the program.
Royse et al (2010) asserts that an evaluation allows policy-makers and other interested parties an opportunity to analyze a program’s or project’s structure, key activities, and organization in addition to probing its political and social environment. This is done to assemble evidence that will enable interested parties to make objective conclusions about the impact of certain interventions.
Fink (1995) stresses this point by arguing that “…program evaluation can be used also to appraise the achievement of a project’s goals and objectives and the extent of its impact and costs” (p. 2). Lastly, policy-makers may undertake a program evaluation if there arises need to make a decision relating to a particular intervention within the program.
Reference List
Fink, A. (1995). Evaluation for Education and Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Kopp, R.J., Krupnick, A.J., & Toman, M. (1997). Cost-Benefit Analysis and Regulatory Reform: An Assessment of the Science and the Art. Web.
Kosiak, S. (2006). The Cost of U.S. Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through Fiscal Year 2006 and Beyond. Center for Strategies and Budgetary Assessments. Web.
Rai, M. (2002). War Plan Iraq: Ten Reasons against War with Iraq. London: Arrow Publications
Royse, D., Thyer, B.A., & Padgett, D.K. (2010). Program Evaluation: An Introduction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth