Within program/project evaluation, there are several different levels at which evaluation can take place. There are three common levels at which this can happen and they are listed below.

• Project
• Cluster
• Programming &policymaking

Project-Level

The main goal of project-level evaluation is to improve the project. Information is collected to impact the decision-making process. There are several phases associated with this level of evaluation.

At the pre-project phase there is often a needs assessment to determine how to support the target population. Other activities at this phase include seeking input from stakeholders and identifying available local resources. At this point, the main purpose is to assess the situation in which the program will take place.

At the startup phase, there are also several activities taking place. For example, there is a need to develop a system for collecting data. How to collect data will vary widely from project to project but this is crucial going forward. Other activities at this phase include collecting baseline data for comparison with the implementation of the project and identifying assumptions about the project. It is critical to have comparison data so that the impact of the program can be assessed while also considering expectations as well.

Implementation involves the continuation of data collection along with feedback from participants in the program. The feedback is formative and helps to make needed course corrections when necessary. There is also a focus on short-term outcomes and assessing how they may impact long-term outcomes.

The maintenance phase involves sharing findings from the program. This information is shared with stakeholders. There is also continued monitoring of the outcomes as determined from the logic model.

Lastly, there is replication. Replication is focused on assessing the fit of the program with the local community. There is also the development of strategies to share with policymakers.

Project-level evaluation is perhaps the most common form of evaluation with grants. However, there are other levels and approaches to evaluation as shown below

Cluster

Cluster evaluation is a type of evaluation that is done by grant funders and or higher-level leaders. The focus here is to look at similar projects and group them. The purpose of this grouping is to see how well these various projects are doing and to focus on change. Members from the different projects meet together and discuss items of interest about their projects and learn from each other.

During these meetings, the leadership may be looking for common themes and opportunities for feedback. This macro view is naturally a time saver for leaders who may not need the details of a project evaluation while still having a sense of how things are going

Programming & Policymaking

At the programming & policymaking level, the evaluation involves summarizing and synthesizing information gathered from various program and cluster evaluations. This is done to address various policy questions that leadership and funders may have. In addition, this type of evaluation determines decisions related to funding and the continued support of a program(s).

Policy changes are also considered. For example, leaders may decide to change various aspects of the funding process and or encourage other types of programs. As with all evaluations, the goal is to make decisions.

Conclusion

These three types of evaluation are commonly used in the context of grant-funded programs. It is important to always assess a project because of the use of other people’s money to others. Therefore, evaluations, such as the ones shared here, will continue to be a part of the grant process.