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Rural Health Information Hub

Importance of Evaluation

Evaluation provides a systematic method to study a program, practice, intervention, or initiative to understand how well it achieves its goals. Evaluations help determine what works well and what could be improved in a program or initiative. Program evaluations can be used to:

  • Demonstrate impact to funders
  • Suggest improvements for continued efforts
  • Seek support for continuing the program
  • Gather information on the approach that can be shared with others
  • Help determine if an approach would be appropriate to replicate in other locations with similar needs

For evaluation considerations for specific types of programs, see:

The Rural Philanthropy Toolkit identifies evaluation considerations for working with funders.

Resources to Learn More

Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessment, and Program Evaluation
Website
A guide to rural health research, needs assessments, and program evaluation, specifically the importance of conducting these different practices.
Organization(s): Rural Health Information Hub