How to do an Outcome Evaluation

Usually Outcome Evaluation is based on one of the following designs.

1. Randomized Controlled Trial

2. Comparison Group

3. Pre-post Comparison

Designs are usually chosen considering the available resources for conducting evaluation. Even though Randomized Controlled Trial design is considered to be the strongest among the three, it is complicated and more resource intensive as compared to pre-post comparison.

Randomized Controlled Trial

In this design, we use two or more groups. Both of them undergo the same pre and post-tests, however, one group is assigned a treatment, the other might be on a viable alternative, or even placebo.

Comparison Group

The difference that Comparison Group design has with Randomized Control Trial is that here the comparison group is arbitrarily and/deliberately chosen, rather then randomly. They are chosen so as to keep the two groups as much alike before the treatment as possible.

Pre-Post Design

Here, target audience is assessed on the same indicators and over the same time period before and after the treatment. They are less statistically rigorous and can produce useful results. Follow-up in these time-series designs is a drawback, however. Also, there is not much room to identify confounding factors that might have affected the program.