Evaluating Program Benefits – Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development

The Meaning of “Evidence-Based” Programs

This handout outlines criteria for what it means to say a program is ‘evidence-based’ and where programs then fall along a ‘continuum of confidence’.

The Peer Review Process

This video explains the peer review process for prevention programs, which is a quality control process that involves careful review of scholarly and academic work. Experts with knowledge and experience in the same field as the prevention program that is being reviewed will scrutinize the research, ideas, methods, and outcomes of the program to ensure that the research has occurred according to professional standards. These experts also ensure that the program outcomes may be reproduced in other similar contexts and conditions. Then, a publication is produced with the findings which is also referred to as a scholarly publication. To learn more about the Peer Review Process, please view the YouTube video.

Communicating Evaluation Results

The Dissemination Evaluation Tool guides practitioners through the intentional process of sharing program evaluation findings with key audiences—such as stakeholders, community members, funders, and policymakers—in ways that are accessible, understandable, and actionable. It explains why dissemination matters (e.g., increasing awareness of program impact, informing decision-making, fostering collaboration, and supporting sustainability), outlines how to tailor messages to different audiences, and offers strategies and formats for effectively communicating results so they drive learning, improvement, and informed action.

Outcome Evaluation

The Outcome Evaluation Tool offers step-by-step guidance for planning and conducting an outcome evaluation, which measures how well a program achieves its intended effects on participant outcomes. It explains what outcome evaluation is and why it matters, outlines evaluation design options (e.g., pre-post designs, control groups), provides tips for selecting valid and reliable measures and managing data collection, and offers practical advice on data analysis and using findings to assess program impact and inform future decisions.

Process Evaluation

The Steps for Process Evaluation resource outlines how to assess whether a program is being implemented as planned by systematically tracking key aspects of delivery. It guides teams to plan the process evaluation before implementation, identify what to measure (e.g., participant characteristics, attendance/utilization, fidelity/adherence, participant satisfaction, staff perceptions, work-plan adherence), determine data collection methods, assign responsibilities and timelines, and then analyze and summarize findings to inform midcourse corrections and support quality implementation. These steps help ensure the program runs according to design and provide documentation that can improve current and future implementations.

Developing a Program Evaluation Plan

This resource is an 18-page practical guide for developing a comprehensive program evaluation plan, walking teams through key steps from establishing an evaluation team and understanding program materials to planning both process and outcome evaluations, launching data collection, and reporting results. It provides actionable guidance on selecting appropriate measures, aligning evaluation activities with a logic model, tracking implementation and outcomes, and ensuring findings are communicated effectively to support program improvement and stakeholder engagement.

Demonstrating Program Impact: Understanding the Role of Short-Term Outcomes

Create an account with The Pennsylvania State University Prevention Learning Portal and earn completion certificates for several prevention topics. This course builds knowledge and skills for defining, measuring, and clearly communicating short-term outcomes for prevention programs. It covers how to distinguish short-term outcome measures from process measures, develop plans for collecting and reporting outcome data, and use outcome information to demonstrate program success and impact.

From Plan to Practice: Feasibility, Process, and Outcome Evaluation

Create an account with The Pennsylvania State University Prevention Learning Portal and earn completion certificates for several prevention topics. This course is about evaluation, and is designed to help professionals confidently navigate the tools, decisions, and processes needed to collect and use data in meaningful ways. You’ll explore why evaluation matters and build a clear understanding of feasibility, process, and outcome evaluation. Along the way, you’ll learn how to select the right evaluation approach for your program and put it into practice to strengthen your efforts. Whether you’re new to data collection or bring years of experience, this course offers practical guidance and foundational strategies you can use right away.

Essentials of Evidence-Based Programs: A Primer for Beginners

Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Objectives

Create an account with The Pennsylvania State University Prevention Learning Portal and earn completion certificates for several prevention topics. The purpose of this course is to introduce S.M.A.R.T. goals and objectives and explain how they translate ideas into action by clearly defining what needs to be done, by whom, and by what target date. The course also demonstrates how S.M.A.R.T. components support measurable accountability and timelines for assessing whether project activities are producing the intended results.

Category: Evaluating Program Benefits