Benefits and Types of Evaluation

What is the definition of evaluation?

The Australian Ministry of Finance defines program evaluation as "the systematic

assessment of a program, or part of it, to assist managers and other decision makers in
assessing the appropriateness, efficiency, and effectiveness of a program, to assess
the case for the establishment of new programs, or extensions to existing programs,
and to decide whether the resources

Evaluation entails more than determining if a project was a success or a failure. Instead,
evaluation entails gathering statistics and information regarding the initiative's progress.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Policy on Evaluation defines

evaluation as the systematic collection and analysis of data on a policy, program, or
initiative's performance in order to make judgments about relevance, progress, or
success, and cost-effectiveness, and/or to inform future programming decisions about
design and implementation. Over time, the implementation of this Policy will foster a
culture of continual improvement and learning in the public sector.

Benefits of Evaluation
Some of the benefits of evaluation include:

 Identifying what components of an initiative work/do not work and why

 Identifying areas that need improvement in order to provide the best service
possible
 Determining value for money (i.e., allocated resources are yielding the greatest
benefit for clients and stakeholders)
 Identifying what components of an initiative work/do not work and why
 While most people associate evaluation with analyzing programs and policies,
including evaluation into operational processes can help procurement
professionals make better decisions. The Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador is revising its procurement legislation and procedures to allow for a
value evaluation.