Evaluating Government-Funded Human Services (Evidence into Policy Guidance Note #3)

This guidance note introduces the role of evaluation in government-funded human services, and is intended as a resource for those commissioning or interpreting evaluations. First, the note details the rationale for and benefits of evaluations, such as improving knowledge and decision-making about a programme and helping to deliver higher-quality interventions. The four stages of the programme lifecycle are described, and the different types of evaluations which may take place at each stage are discussed. Key considerations when planning an evaluation are outlined such as budget, timeline, and audience.

To help support the design of your evaluation, four key steps are discussed: developing a framework, agreeing on evaluation questions, deciding on your evaluation approach, and considering the available data. An evaluation framework such as a Programme Logic Model can provide a conceptual map to describe the relations between components of a programme evaluation. Formulating evaluation questions can help to determine and focus your evaluation approach. Three types of evaluation approaches are described: process, outcome/impact, and programme theory evaluations.