Measure capacity, access, fidelity, and sustained change.
Use this page as a controlled working guide. Adapt language and activities to the population, verify local resources, assign ownership, and preserve the clinical and life-safety boundaries described throughout the model.
Evaluation from question to decision
Evaluation should be designed before launch. Otherwise the program reaches the fourth quarter and discovers the scoreboard was never plugged in.
Four evaluation questions
| Question type | Core question | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Need | What is happening, to whom, where, when, and why might it matter? | Risk/protective factors, service gaps, resident experience, readiness |
| Process | Was the model delivered as intended, to the intended people, at sufficient dosage and quality? | Reach, attendance, session completion, fidelity, staff competency |
| Outcome | What changed in knowledge, skill, support, behavior, access, functioning, or conditions? | Pre/post change, handoff completion, retention, school/work engagement |
| Equity | Who benefited, who was missed, and who carried unintended burden? | Participation by population, accessibility, dropout, wait time, language, transportation |
Evidence hierarchy
Participation evidence
Who was reached, how often, for how long, and with which completion pattern?
Learning evidence
What knowledge, skill, confidence, or intention changed?
Behavior evidence
What did participants do differently in real settings?
Access evidence
Were referrals accepted, scheduled, confirmed, attended, and continued?
Condition evidence
Did policy, schedule, supervision, transportation, availability, safety, or opportunity change?
Outcome evidence
Did functioning, safety, retention, housing, school, work, recovery, or health improve?