Program Evaluation - Government Requirements

Government Requirements

Given the Federal budget deficit, the Obama Administration moved to apply an "evidence-based approach" to government spending, including rigorous methods of program evaluation. The President's 2011 Budget earmarked funding for 19 government program evaluations for agencies such as the Department of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). An inter-agency group delivers the goal of increasing transparency and accountability by creating effective evaluation networks and drawing on best practices. A six-step framework for conducting evaluation of public health programs, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), initially increased the emphasis on program evaluation of government programs in the US. The framework is as follows:

1. Engage stakeholders
2. Describe the program.
3. Focus the evaluation.
4. Gather credible evidence.
5. Justify conclusions.
6. Ensure use and share lessons learned.