Formative Evaluation

Formative evaluation focuses on gathering information, typically during the program development phase, to help inform your program approach. Among other benefits, formative evaluation can help you to better understand:

• Your priority population, including factors like their existing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to diabetes
• The types of program approaches that would be acceptable and culturally appropriate
• Potential barriers and facilitators to joining and remaining engaged with a diabetes program
• Factors that will support program implementation and potential barriers to be addressed

Insights from formative evaluation can help with tailoring your approach to ensure it is relevant and appropriate for your unique community and organizational context.

Specific formative research methods may include the following:

• Focus groups with program participants and staff
• Interviews with key stakeholders
• Surveys with potential participants
• Site visits
• Literature reviews

Your program evaluator can help you to determine which methods will get the insights you need to tailor your approach for your community and organizational context. They will also consider which methods are feasible to use given the resources available to collect, analyze, and interpret formative research data.