Evidence-Based Program Evaluation

Summit’s program evaluation team delivers data-driven intelligence to public and commercial clients to help them evaluate and improve their policies and programs. We collect and analyze data through a variety of methods to answer questions about how well and how effectively programs are working. Evaluating the efficacy of programs is crucial in the federal sphere to ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely, and the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act aims to ensure programs achieve outcomes relevant to their missions.

We utilize both quantitative and qualitative data to answer such research questions as: How do you know if your program (or program modification) is achieving its mission? If program outcomes aren’t meeting expected goals, what isn’t working? What can be improved to increase program efficacy? By rigorously testing which programs and interventions are most effective at achieving important goals, the government can improve its programs, scale up the approaches that work best, and discontinue those that are less effective. See below for a webinar we produced on designing an effective program evaluation.