As the name applies, evaluative research is concerned with evaluating such occurrences as social and organizational programs or interventions. The essential question typically asked by such studies is whether the response (e.g., a new policy initiative or an organizational change) achieved its anticipated goals.
A typical design used for the evaluation may consist of one group exposed to the treatment (i.e., the new initiative) and a control group that is not.
Since it is often not possible or ethical to randomly assign research participants to two groups, such studies are usually quasi-experimental.
Health and family planning activities are often implemented for years but never assessed.
In such cases, evaluative research can be a valuable approach for examining retrospectively or cross-sectionally the effect of the program activities.
These studies attempt to;
- assess the implemented activities and examine the short-time effects of these activities,
- determine the impact of a program and
- evaluate the success of the intervention.
What is the primary focus of evaluative research?
Evaluative research is primarily concerned with evaluating occurrences such as social and organizational programs or interventions to determine if they achieved their anticipated goals.
How is evaluative research typically conducted in terms of its design?
A common design used in evaluative research may involve one group exposed to a treatment (e.g., a new policy initiative) and a control group that is not. Due to ethical or practical constraints, these studies are often quasi-experimental.
Why is evaluative research considered valuable for health and family planning activities?
Health and family planning activities can run for years without assessment. Evaluative research offers a means to retrospectively or cross-sectionally examine the effects of these program activities.
What are the primary objectives of evaluative research studies?
Evaluative research aims to assess implemented activities, examine their short-term effects, determine the program’s impact, and evaluate the intervention’s success.
What is the significance of including a control group in evaluative research?
Including a control group that does not receive the program intervention allows for a more accurate assessment of the program’s impact by comparing outcomes between the intervention and control groups.
Examples of Evaluative Research
Example #1
Goiter is highly prevalent in many parts of Bangladesh. UNICEF, Bangladesh initiated a lipiodol injection campaign in some selected Upazila in 1989.
After two years, the impact of this campaign was evaluated. The results were compared with another area where no such attack was launched.
Example #2
NETZ Partnership for Development and Justice (a German NGO) has been working in Bangladesh in the field of development in cooperation with local NGOs since 1989.
NETZ supports accelerating the changes in the living and environmental conditions of society’s most neglected and underprivileged people.
The main thrust of programs run by NETZ is to bring about changes in the situation of children, widows, landless families, ethnic minorities, small farmers, and fishermen to make them capable of finding ways and means to live with dignity in society.
NETZ has been implementing the Income and Food Security for Ultra Poor (IFSUP) Project in collaboration with 3 local NGOs with financial support from the European Union.
The project started its operation in January 2007 in 6 Upazilas under Rangpur, Joypurhat, and Netrokona districts.
The project authority conducted a baseline survey in 2007, following which two studies, one in 2009 and the next in 2013, were conducted to evaluate the impact of the program interventions.
It may be worth mentioning that the 2009 survey consisted of a control group that did not receive the program intervention to evaluate it.