Page 363 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Unit 31 : Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation can serve an important developmental or capacity-building purpose, for Notes
the organisation as a whole and for individual members, where it is seen as a form of
organisational learning.
Formative evaluation is time and labour intensive in comparison to most forms of summative
evaluation. It relies primarily on qualitative methods that are heavy in their use of time and
evaluation expertise, both at the data gathering stage as well as in analysis. Depending on the
audience for the formative evaluation findings, the reliance on qualitative methods may fail to
meet the expectations of some stakeholders for robust quantitative measures of progress.

What do you understand by the term “process use” ?

Self Assessment

1. Multiple Choice Questions :
Choose the correct option :
(i) ___________ evaluation seeks to strengthen or improve a programme by examining,
amongst other things, the delivery of the programme, structures and procedures.
(a) Summative (b) Formative
(c) External (d) Internal
(ii) ___________ evaluation monitors the fidality of the program or technology delivery.
(a) Implementation (b) Process
(c) Need (d) Structured
(iii) ___________ helps stakeholders define the program or technology, the target population,
and the possible outcomes
(a) need assessment (b) Process evaluation
(c) Structured Conceptulization (d) External Evaluation
(iv) ___________ assessment determines whether an evaluation is feasible and how stakeholders
can help shape its usefulness.
(a) evaluability (b) Structured Conceptulization
(c) Implementation (d) process

31.2 Summative Evaluation

Summative evaluation looks at the impact of an intervention on the target group. This type of
evaluation is arguably what is considered most often as ‘evaluation’ by project staff and funding
bodies- that is, finding out what the project achieved.
Summative evaluation can take place during the project implementation, but is most often
undertaken at the end of a project. As such, summative evaluation can also be referred to as ex-
post evaluation (meaning after the event).
Summative evaluation is often associated with more objective, quantitative methods of data
collection. Summative evaluation is linked to the evaluation drivers of accountability. It is
recommended to use a balance of both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to get a
better understanding of what your project has achieved, and how or why this has occurred. Using
qualitative methods of data collection can also provide a good insight into unintended consequences
and lessons for improvement.

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