MERC’s evaluation services include proposal development, methodologies to answer the evaluation questions, and support with data collection. The MERC team have expertise in quantitative, qualitative, multi- and mixed-methods, survey design, data visualization, and reporting. We are huge fans of mixed- and multi-method evaluation designs, capturing both breadth and depth. There are many possible approaches to most questions, and our team can discuss the pros and cons of each, including the impact on the budget, timing, and possible results.
Process
Process evaluation is crucial for understanding how a research project is implemented, ensuring that it operates as intended. It examines whether the project’s activities were carried out as planned, identifies any deviations or challenges, and assesses the quality and efficiency of service delivery. By evaluating participant engagement, resource use, and staff roles, process evaluation highlights what worked well and what could be improved. This type of evaluation provides insights into the practical aspects of the project, helping to refine implementation strategies, enhance program quality, and ensure that the project is on track to achieve its desired outcomes.
Outcome
Outcome evaluation is essential for assessing the effectiveness of a program or research project by measuring whether its goals were achieved and determining the overall impact. It evaluates the success of objectives, provides evidence of the project's value, and identifies both intended and unintended outcomes. This type of evaluation enhances accountability, supports data-driven decision-making, and informs future research by revealing what worked and what didn’t. Additionally, it assesses the potential for scaling or replicating positive results, ensuring that the program/project's contributions are meaningful and applicable beyond the initial study.
We most often act as an external evaluator, but can serve as an internal evaluator, an evaluation consultant, or a social science expert. There are costs and benefits to each of these roles. External evaluators are perceived as being more objective, and may have a broader range of evaluation expertise, and offer additional perspectives. Internal evaluators have a greater, more in-depth understanding of your project, but are often more expensive in terms of time commitment, and lack outside perspective. As a consultant, we usually provide evaluation expertise and recommendations for a short time. We provide social science expertise for projects outside the social sciences who need to understand the interaction between individuals and systems, or group differences in their project outcomes.
We do our best to communicate results in a way that is both accessible and specific to the desired audiences. We strive to report findings using language that is appropriate for the general population, and explain statistics in an easy to understand way. For multi-year projects, we can provide either annual reports or mini-reports about individual activities, and of course, summative reports in the final year. We can create posters, fact sheets or infographics, or presentations to share the results. We have traveled to conferences across the US to help present process and outcome findings.