CNE Program Development & Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nonprofit wants to measure whether its job-training program actually helped participants find employment. Which evaluation type best answers this question?
- Needs assessment
- Process evaluation
- Outcome evaluation (Correct answer)
- Cost-benefit analysis
Correct answer: Outcome evaluation
Outcome evaluation measures the actual changes or results experienced by program participants, such as employment rates after job training.
Question 2: Which tool is most useful for mapping the causal chain between a program's activities and its intended long-term impact?
- SWOT analysis
- Logic model (Correct answer)
- Gantt chart
- Balanced scorecard
Correct answer: Logic model
A logic model visually displays the links between inputs, activities, outputs, short-term outcomes, and long-term impact.
Question 3: When conducting a community needs assessment, which data collection method provides the richest qualitative insight into lived experiences?
- Online survey with Likert scales
- Analysis of Census demographic data
- In-depth focus groups with community members (Correct answer)
- Review of local hospital discharge records
Correct answer: In-depth focus groups with community members
Focus groups generate rich qualitative data by allowing facilitators to probe participants' experiences, perceptions, and priorities in depth.
Question 4: A program serving 200 clients achieves outcomes for 140 of them. What is the program's outcome rate, and how should leadership interpret it?
- 60%; below expectations regardless of context
- 70%; a benchmark to compare against similar programs and targets (Correct answer)
- 70%; automatically signals program success
- 30%; represents the program's failure rate
Correct answer: 70%; a benchmark to compare against similar programs and targets
70% (140/200) is the raw rate, but meaning depends on comparison against the program's stated target and similar program benchmarks.
Question 5: Which approach to program design starts by first identifying the desired end result and then working backward to determine necessary activities?
- Activity-based planning
- Participatory action research
- Backward design (theory of change) (Correct answer)
- Incremental program development
Correct answer: Backward design (theory of change)
Backward design begins with the desired long-term impact and works backward to identify the intermediate outcomes and activities needed to achieve it.
Question 6: An evaluator uses a control group that receives no services to compare against program participants. This design is best described as:
- Pre-post design
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Case study
- Developmental evaluation
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) randomly assigns participants to treatment and control groups, allowing the strongest causal inference about program effectiveness.
Question 7: Which stakeholder group is MOST critical to involve during the program design phase to ensure cultural relevance and community buy-in?
- Major funders only
- Board members and executive leadership
- Target population and community members (Correct answer)
- Peer organizations offering similar services
Correct answer: Target population and community members
Involving the target population during design ensures the program addresses actual needs, respects cultural context, and builds community ownership.
CNE Program Development & Evaluation 2
A nonprofit wants to measure whether its job-training program actually helped participants find employment.
Which evaluation type best answers this question?