Company Health and Wellness : Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Types of Assessment

The sort of assessment you choose is dependent upon when you do it and the kind of information you gather.

This section outlines when to use three types: formative, process and summative evaluations.

During the Development Stage

Use formative evaluations in the planning stages to see that your program is built on solid information. These evaluations also help you to develop effective and appropriate materials and procedures.

Examples of formative evaluations include:

• records of upper management commitments to the program
• employee interest surveys
• workplace environmental assessments
• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process evaluation is used when the initiative is underway. These evaluations help you:

• track what is going well and what isn’t (and how to revise your program)
• discover if you are reaching the workers you want to reach
• describe the program to others
• monitor who is participating in the plan

During or After Your Initiative

Summative evaluations take place when the program is already in place or completed. Use this type of evaluation to measure what employees like about the program and what could be improved.

All three types of evaluations have their place. The assessment you choose depends on the time and financial resources you have available.