Toolkit
  1. INTRODUCTION TO THE TOOLKIT

  2. INTRODUCTION TO EVALUATION

  3. PLAN YOUR EVALUATION

  4. IMPLEMENT YOUR EVALUATION

Evaluation Standards

These standards are used to assess the quality of evaluation activities. They can also frame your thinking about the design of an evaluation. The standards used in the CDC's framework fall into four categories, which are shown below:

Standards Description Questions to ask yourself
Utility Ensures an evaluation is useful and relevant to the intended users of the evaluation results. Who will use the results? Will our evaluation provide them with the information they need in a timely manner?
Feasibility Ensures an evaluation will be realistic, prudent, diplomatic, and frugal. Is the evaluation practical and realistic given the time, resources, and expertise available?
Propriety Ensures an evaluation will be conducted legally and ethically, and the welfare of participants as well as those affected by the results has been seriously considered. Have we made sure we are protecting the rights of participants and those who might be affected by the evaluation results?
Accuracy Ensures an evaluation will uncover and convey technically accurate information about the program being evaluated. Are you confident that the results will be valid, reliable, and tell the story accurately? (the concepts of validity and reliability are discussed further in Step 4: Data Collection)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Office of the Director, Office of Strategy and Innovation (2005). Introduction to program evaluation for public health programs: A self-study guide. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.