GUIDE FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION

This paper aims to be a ‘how-to’ guide for development, administration, and appraisal of evaluations and evaluation results for a broad spectrum of extension programs.

Abstract

Extension programs must be evaluated in order to assess their value to participants, institutions, funders, and all other stakeholders. Evaluations can be especially useful when the program has specific objectives that are measurable, either qualitatively and quantitatively. There are many different methods and formats for evaluation, and choosing the correct evaluation can be critical to ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the evaluation results. Considerable thought must be put into determining the correct method for an evaluation, and they must always be focused on the specific objectives of the extension program. After administering an evaluation, the results should be communicated back to the stakeholders of the program in an effective manner and, after some deliberation, the program should be considered for alteration if deemed necessary. This paper aims to be a ‘how-to’ guide for development, administration, and appraisal of evaluations and evaluation results for a broad spectrum of extension programs.