6 reasons why evaluation is a great opportunity for program managers

Program evaluation is a great opportunity for program managers

Government rules and guidelines for the effective governance, performance and accountability of programs expands the required performance information beyond the financial. Broader qualitative and quantitative performance information, evaluation and reporting is also expected and encouraged.

While this might seem a little scary, it actually presents a raft of exciting opportunities for program managers to showcase the successes of their programs and ensure that their teams are performing to its full potential.

We here at Grosvenor have a lot of experience working with Commonwealth and state government programs and so we understand what can be achieved through excellent performance monitoring and evaluation processes.

And while the benefits and opportunities presented by government rules and guidelines will vary from program to program, there are some that are universal.

Below we’ve outlined 6 reasons why program evaluation provides a fantastic opportunity for you and your team to shine.

1. It provides clarity for the team

Creating a framework which outlines clear responsibilities for performance encourages accountability and clarity as it gives you, your program delivery team and managers a way to be very clear on their responsibilities for monitoring and evaluating performance from the outset.

2. It will tell you how well your program is really doing

Evaluation helps program managers measure how well their programs are really performing to achieve the desired outcomes. This can confirm your suspicions that things could be improved or let the success of your program shine.

3. It encourages continuous improvement

By encouraging performance monitoring and evaluation within your organisation, including the creation of robust evaluation tools, you can create an environment focused on learning and the continuous improvement and success of your program.

4. You can measure performance throughout the entire program

By doing this you can identify what is working well and what needs to change at key points to ensure the ongoing relevance and performance of your program and make certain that you are well placed to respond to environmental or policy changes. 

5. It encourages honest conversations

Evaluation enables program managers to seek genuine input and feedback from stakeholders. This helps you to understand what your stakeholders really think about your program and how it could be better tailored to meet their needs. 

6. It allows you to access valuable information from other programs

Sharing performance information and evaluations allows you to learn from the challenges and successes of others and for others to learn from you. By leveraging the outcomes of others’ activities and applying them to your own situation, you can ensure your program is robust and functioning at its best.

 

So, whether you know your program is a success or you think it could be improved but don’t know how, program evaluation presents a great opportunity for all program managers to have a better understanding of their program’s performance.

By taking the time and effort to commit to your government evaluation rules or guidelines, program managers can ensure that they have robust processes in place to understand how well programs are really performing and continuously improve.

How do I monitor and evaluate performance?

Use this step by step guide to building a monitoring and evaluation framework to help you understand how well your program is performing or ask our Program Evaluation Expert, Dana Cross, any question you have.