Assessing Program Performance

Measuring Outcomes: Impact Evaluation

Another component of measuring a program's performance is determining whether the activities produced the desired effects or outcomes or, put another way, whether the program achieved its objectives. Measuring outcomes tells the program and the evaluator what impacts the program has had or what results it has achieved. Such impacts are usually expressed in terms of behavior change in those served by the program: reducing reoffending or increasing knowledge about the negative consequences of substance abuse. Outcomes may be divided into short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes, with the last usually being the program goal.

There are a number of different ways to define and measure any particular outcome. The choice of a measurement method is critical to the program assessment process. A professional evaluator can be useful in helping to develop and identify valid and reliable outcome measures.

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Basic Outcome Evaluation and Comparative Outcome Evaluation (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

Measuring Program Outcomes (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

Varieties of Outcome Measures (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

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