So, what, exactly, is evaluation? Evaluation asks and answers important questions you may have about your program and the young people you serve. When we evaluate a program, we pose questions and then systematically collect information (data) to answer those questions. It is through the process of analyzing this information that we can answer our questions and assess what works and does not work in our program. Depending on the questions you ask—and when you ask them—evaluation can be formative, summative, or both. Formative evaluation occurs when you use information to assess how your program is doing during the planning, development, or implementation of a program or activity. It is used to modify or improve a program or activity while it is still in progress.

A good way to think of formative evaluation is that it helps you answer questions such as the following: How is our program going? Are we offering the activities we planned? Are youth engaging in these activities in the ways we hoped and expected? How might we modify these activities to enhance youth engagement?

Summative evaluation is based on data obtained and summarized at the end of a program or activity. It is used to determine the program or activity’s overall effectiveness; that is, Did the program achieve the program goals or outcomes anticipated? (Note: Program goals and outcomes are defined in the section on program design.) A good way to think of summative evaluation is that it helps you answer questions similar to the following: Did youth benefit from their participation in our program? How did youth benefit? What evidence do we have that they benefited?

Formative and summative evaluations are not mutually exclusive, and it is possible to conduct an evaluation with both formative and summative components. Both types of evaluation are important. In fact, a well-designed evaluation plan will use data collected from formative evaluations to inform program development and identify questions for a summative evaluation. Formative evaluations can be ongoing and conducted internally with tools available in-house; in addition, they can be part of the continuous improvement process. Improvement resulting from formative evaluation is detailed in the section on continuous program improvement.

When undertaking an evaluation, be sure to understand the terms. Evaluation is the process of analyzing information (data) to assess what works and does not work in achieving program goals and outcomes. The questions your evaluation is designed to answer should be based on the program goals and outcomes you have identified (refer to the details in the section on program design). Data collection, on the other hand, is just one part of the evaluation process; it involves program staff members gathering and recording information to answer key evaluation questions related to your program’s goals. This distinction is important. Many of the evaluation forms that staff members and participants are asked to complete are actually part of data collection; they are not the evaluation itself. To be useful, follow data collection with exploring and making sense of the information.