Interventions & Strategies
Formative (Process) Evaluation
The goal of formative (or process) evaluation is
to facilitate program improvement as early in the program as possible so
that the program can enhance its performance. While the program model
may change based on the results of an outcome evaluation, formative
evaluation is ongoing and results in a continuous improvement process.
Formative evaluation involves four core
activities:
-
Regularly
collecting information on program performance;
-
Analyzing
the information collected for performance evidence;
-
Disseminating and using the results of the analysis to improve program
performance, often by modifying certain processes or systems used in the
daily functioning of the program; and
-
Constantly
reviewing and making mid-term changes in the program as information about
effective practices and strategies become available.
Effective program evaluation typically includes elements
of both outcome and formative evaluation. The major difference between the
two approaches is that outcome evaluation focuses on the results over a
specified period of time (e.g., annually or at the end of funding), while
process evaluation is ongoing and is intended to help project staff make
needed changes as soon as they become aware of issues that need to be
addressed.
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