The Evaluator's Program Description

According to Boulmetis and Dutwin, once the initial phases of the program have been established which consist of identifying needs, plans to address those needs, supporting (new or existing) activities, standards, and tools for measurement are in place, an evaluator’s program description (EPD) can be formalized. The goal of the EPD is to inform the stakeholders by first revealing a program’s goals and objectives; second to know and record the activities that are planned to accomplish the goals and objectives and, lastly, to reveal the measurement tool(s) to be used. It is vital to amplify, clarify, and make all aspects of the program clear. Different EPDs can be used to address different stakeholders.

An EPD is a good starting point for an evaluator who may not be familiar with the program or project and to begin building rapport with those intimately involved. The EPD is a process that involves dialogue between the evaluator and the various parties by asking good questions, which look to identify statements of goals, what activities are planned to reach the goals, and what evaluation procedures are built into the program (or should be). As the discussion takes place, the evaluator is looking to sift out goals, activities, and evidence of program merit that could reflect the gains received by those participating, the community at large, and/or the organization sponsoring the program. As a result of this process, one might be able to better align the thinking of all those involved.

The overall aim of an EPD is to generate evaluation questions that can become a guide to a design format for an evaluation.