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Measuring and monitoring program outcomes

6 important questions on Measuring and monitoring program outcomes

How do you identify relevant outcomes for measurement?

1) stakeholder perspective (lack of specificity and concreteness)
2) Program Impact Theory (proximal and distal outcomes)
3) Prior Research (call attention to relevant outcomes and how outcomes have been defined and measured)

Why is it a good idea to diversify measures?

represents full character of program outcomes
safeguards against possibility that poorly performing measures will underrepresent outcomes and, by not measuring the aspects of the outcome a program most affects, make the program less effective that it actually is.

What are type of outcome measurement sources?

observations
interviews and questionnaires
standardized tests
physical measurement apparatus

What are the three measurement properties of particular concern?

reliability
validity
sensitivity

Outcome monitoring vs. impact assessment

less time consuming
less costly
because of its limitations it is mainly a feedback tool for program managers.

Possible pitfalls related to program outcome monitoring

1) outcome indicator to which program funders or other influential decision makers give serious attention will also inevitably receive emphasis from program staff and managers --> distort program activities
2) corruptibility of indicators (natural tendency for those whose performance is being calculated to fudge and pad the indicator whenever possible to make their performance look better than it is.
3) interpretation of results on outcome indicators