What is the purpose of summative evaluation?

• A. During the program to monitor progress
• B. Before the program begins
• C. After the program ends to assess overall success
• D. At the conclusion of the program and beyond to determine overall impact

Answer: (C)

Summative evaluation focuses on the final judgment of a program’s effectiveness after it has ended. It asks whether the program achieved its goals, whether participants reached the intended outcomes, and how successful the overall intervention was. Because the assessment occurs after completion, it provides a clear snapshot of results and informs decisions about continuing, expanding, modifying, or ending the program.

If you were evaluating progress while the program is still underway, that would be formative evaluation aimed at improvement. If you’re looking at planning or needs before the program starts, that’s a planning/needs-analysis phase. While some projects consider longer-term impact, summative evaluation centers on the end-of-program outcomes to determine overall success.