Evaluating government programs

The Queensland Government spends millions of dollars each year providing services to improve Queenslanders’ standard of living.

It is important the government is accountable for the money it spends and that Queenslanders can be confident government policies and programs are meeting objectives efficiently and effectively.

The Queensland Government Program Evaluation Guidelines outline a broad set of wise-practice principles to assist agencies to plan, commission, manage and conduct consistent, transparent and high-quality evaluation.

Information sheets

The guidelines are accompanied by separate information sheets that describe specific evaluation topics in more detail and complement a range of other existing Queensland Government guidelines, including the Performance Management Framework and Project Assessment Framework.

• Developing a program logic model – a logic model communicates how program designers expect activities to bring about change. This can identify what to measure to understand if and how the program has achieved its outcomes.
• Writing an evaluation framework or plan – evaluation plans and frameworks guide what evaluations will focus on and how they will be conducted.
• Performance measurement frameworks – performance measurement frameworks provide a structure for evaluators to collect, analyse and report on how programs use resources to achieve results.
• Integrating evidence and evaluation – different types of information can be used to support policy-making and program evaluation. Evidence will have the most impact when it is accessible, relevant and high quality.
• Economic evaluation – economic evaluation measures a program’s costs and benefits. There are some key steps to undertake this type of evaluation and various approaches that evaluators can choose.
• Ethics and Evaluation – ethical practices benefit both the evaluation process and public trust. This information sheet outlines ethical principles, practices and strategies to manage ethical risk.

Frequently asked questions

What is program evaluation?

Evaluation is a form of applied research. It uses evidence from multiple sources to make judgments about a program or policy. Evaluations can help with decision-making and show how to improve services for the community. Evaluation can identify:

• if the program objectives are being achieved
• what aspects of the program are working as intended, for whom, how, under what circumstances, why and at what cost
• if the program is a good solution to the problem it addresses and represents value for money.

What do program evaluators do?

Program evaluators analyse evidence to help support decision making, learning and provide an understanding of how a program has performed.

Evaluators use a range of applied research skills to collect evidence from various sources. This may include existing research, program data, surveys or stakeholder interviews.

What programs should be a priority for evaluation?

Agencies should consider evaluation as well as performance monitoring when a program:

• is new or does not have adequate evidence about its effectiveness, efficiency or appropriateness
• has large government investment
• contributes to key government priorities
• poses a risk to health, public safety or the state’s financial position
• affects many individuals, businesses or communities
• attracts public or political attention.

What are typical evaluation questions?

Evaluation questions focus an evaluation on what decision-makers need to know. The number and type of evaluation questions will depend on:

• the objectives and scope of the program
• evaluation time period, resources and budget
• access to data and relevant stakeholders.