Organizational Development Program Evaluation Research Services Home
Links and Resources About UpFront Download Center
Utilization Focused EvaluationTypes of EvaluationClients and References


Types of Evaluation

Evaluation helps you find out what works and what doesn’t. Done well, it provides a road map for your program to improve processes, improve participant outcomes, and have a bigger impact on the organization and the community. With UpFront’s experience, you and your stakeholders can be sure that all the information you need is collected.

Process evaluation
Program evaluation starts with looking at the process. This is the who, what, where, when and why part of evaluation. UpFront has many years of experience designing tools and systems to help programs measure the process. This can save you time and resources, freeing program staff to spend more time with participants and less time with paperwork.

Outcomes evaluation
Outcomes evaluation measures changes in program participants. The question is, does your program in some way change the life of the people who participate? Outcomes are not always easy to measure—but UpFront can help you develop both quantitative and qualitative measures (the wide and the deep) to document outcomes. This information is critical to funders. And it is just as important for you and your staff, so you can continue to increase the efficiency and efficacy of your program.

Impact evaluation
Impact evaluation looks at change beyond the program participants. Does your program help the bigger organization that includes your participants? Does it help the community? UpFront has many years of experience measuring the impact of programs on organizations and even communities. Though programs often lack the resources and expertise to measure impact, knowing the impact is very important in creating support for the program.

Learn more
If you’d like more information about evaluation types, check out our newsletter downloads page.

We go where our vision is.”
—Joseph Murphy