Summative Evaluation
Summative evaluation is evaluation conducted to render an overall judgement of a program, policy or product — its merit, worth, effectiveness or impact — typically after it has been implemented or has matured. Named by Michael Scriven in his 1967 essay 'The Methodology of Evaluation' as the counterpart to formative evaluation, its purpose is to inform consequential decisions: whether to continue, expand, replicate, defund or certify an intervention. It addresses the bottom-line question 'did it work, and was it worth it?' for audiences such as funders, policymakers and the public.
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Sources
- Scriven, M. (1967). The methodology of evaluation. In R. W. Tyler, R. M. Gagné, & M. Scriven (Eds.), Perspectives of Curriculum Evaluation (pp. 39–83). Chicago: Rand McNally. ISBN: 9780528616600
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Summative Evaluation of Program Merit and Worth. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/public-policy/summative-evaluation
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Counterfactual Impact EvaluationCausal inference↔ compare
- Formative EvaluationPublic Policy↔ compare
- Impact Evaluation DesignPublic Policy↔ compare
- Process EvaluationPublic Policy↔ compare