- Process Evaluation. Formative evaluation examines activities associated with the ongoing operations of a program with the aim of strengthening or improving the object being evaluated. The evaluation may focus on the delivery of the program or technology, the quality of its implementation, the organizational context as well as the processes used including, procedures, inputs, supporting systems and so on.
- Outcomes Evaluation. Summative evaluation examines activities associated with the longer-term effects or impact of a program by describing what happens subsequent to the delivery of the program. This may include assessing whether the program can be said to have caused the outcome; determining the overall impact of various causal factors, assessing the outcomes or effects and estimating the relative costs associated with the program itself.
Quality in Evaluation Research
Converge has the tools, techniques and models required to deliver both Formative and Summative evaluations or combinations of the two to provide a comprehensive assessment of program functioning. Our approach is characterized by our research quality. Our ability to gather data (qualitative or quantitative), to analyze the data gathered, and use this analysis to make solid evidenced-based decisions is as good as it gets. We literally wrote the book on the subject; The Performance Improvement Toolkit: The Guide to Knowledge-Based Improvement, that specifies how to deal with data in both private and public sector applications — including Program Evaluation.
Some Of Our Work
Converge conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Program (FASDP) for the Government of Alberta. The analysis required the evaluation of twelve pilot project programs, all operating under the FASDP framework.