Knowledge Bank

Outcome Evaluation

November 30, -0001, Evaluation Observatory

A Non-Government Organization has launched a micro-credit program in convergence with the local banks to increase income earning capacities through the provision of accessible finance and livelihood training interventions. While the feedback of the program has reportedly been good; however, it lacks the necessary evidence to scale and sustain funding for the program.

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A evidence based ground reality check of whether the program objectives are achieved or not (Allen & Bronte-Tinkew, n.d.), can be generated through a systematic evidence-based outcome evaluation study.

An Outcome Evaluations examines the program’s intended outputs and outcomes and investigates to what extent and in which direction the outcomes change for participants in the program. Outcomes can be broadly defined as the changes bought about in ‘people, organization, and the environment’ through the program intervention (Myers & Barnes, 2005)

Outcome Evaluations have evolved from the more traditional approach of evaluating project outcomes against their objectives, to assessing how these larger outcomes contribute to changes in development conditions (Guidelines for Outcome Evaluators, UNDP, 2002).

For a broad overview

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• Measuring Outcomes: Guidance on Outcome Evaluation by Patrick Mayers and Jacqueline Barnes

  Developed as a 30 pager Outcome Evaluation Guide for Sure Start Programs, this resource is a comprehensive guide on Outcome Evaluations – including their rationale, identifying short- and long-term outcomes, research designs for outcome evaluations and the methods to measure those outcomes.

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• Webinar: Outcome Evaluation: Step-by-Step

  Presented by EvaluATE, this webinar is a step-by-step guide to perform outcome evaluation, with rich visual aids and a guide to designing an outcome evaluation questionnaire through a case study.

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• Outcome Evaluation by Ignacio Navarro (Video Resource)

  Another webinar by Professor Ignacio Navarro, taking a step by step approach to outcome evaluations.

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• Evaluation In Health And Wellbeing: Overview

  Developed by Public Health England, this resource guides practitioners on aspects of evaluation including outcome validity, evaluation designs, challenges, review questions etc

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• Public Health: Introduction to Outcome Evaluation by Charles Abraham.

  An instructive guide to designing outcome evaluations in Public Health and the challenges associated with it from Public Health England

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• Social Justice: Criminal Justice Evaluation Framework (CJEF): Conducting effective outcome evaluations

  From the Criminal Justice Research Department of Premier and Cabinet, this resource introduces several outcome evaluations methodologies, and guides practitioners in choosing the most appropriate methods amongst these.

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• Social Heritage: Outcome Based Evaluation Basics

  Developed by institute of Museum and Library Services, this resource explains outcome evaluation basics using program examples like Columbia County Read Together Program, Museums Are Fun for Everybody etc.

For in depth understanding

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• A Practical Guide to Outcome Evaluation by Liz Hoggarth and Hillary Comfort

  Written as a detailed handbook for managers and practitioners in social work, this book highlights the importance of outcome evaluations. Comprehensive in its approach, it attempts to address fundamental issues in conducting Outcome Evaluations such as: 'Why is Outcome Evaluation so crucial', 'Thinking about Ethics', 'Analyzing and Presenting Findings' etc.

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• This a Good Quality Outcome Evaluation Report? A Guide for Practitioners

  Developed by Bureau of Justice Assistance, this resource helps practitioners distinguish between good and poor-quality evaluation reports and also explains key evaluation terms and designs.

Case Study

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• Education and Social Justice: Process and Outcome Evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program

  Developed by the University of Missouri-St. Louis, this resource serves as a case study, describing an outcome evaluation report of the Impact of a Gang Resistance Education and Training Program on middle school students.

Toolkits

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• fsdf Guidelines for Outcome Evaluators by UNDP:

  These guidelines developed by the UNDP Evaluation office provide a conceptual review for program managers and a methodological framework to conduct evaluations. It also provides evaluators with a sample outline template to design an outcome evaluation report. gsdf

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• Outcome Evaluation tools by RAND Corporation

  This resource provides sample survey questions, data collection methods and standard template formats for reporting outcome evaluation results.