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Evaluation is basically a stock-taking process. It is purposeful, applied social evaluation. Its most important role is that of contributing to decisions about the program while it´s in process or to decisions about adopting, continuation, termination or changing a program. Evaluation thus gives direction and impetus to program efforts. It gives evidence and support to actions taken and suggests changes to be made if program goals must be appreciably achieved. Evaluation has another generic goal of influencing policy formulation through the provision of empirically driven feedback. Evaluation should be inbuilt in any program rather than an end to be achieved later in the process. It is in this view that this book has looked at the nature of program evaluation, levels of evaluation, evaluation designs, evaluation models and strategic application of evaluation models in educational programs in Kenya.

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