Why Are You Doing What You’re Doing? Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Planning and Impact
Evaluation is a process to document the progress of a program, including how and why a program does or doesn’t work. Outcomes-based evaluation helps orient an organization toward achieving results from programs. Outcomes-based evaluation can help your library:
- Use consistent methods for measuring program success
- Obtain information to measure how well a program leads to specific goals
- Focus on achievable goals and help to prevent mission creep
- Organize evidence to understand how, why, and whether a program has been successful
- Inform programmatic decisions to improve performance, services, and better allocate resources
In addition, an outcomes-based evaluation can support the sustainability efforts of your library and its programs when seeking future funding.