Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

The type of assessment you choose depends on when you do it and the kind of information you gather.

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

During the Planning Stage

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

Examples of formative evaluations include:

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

During Your Initiative

A process assessment is used when the program is underway. These evaluations help you:

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

During or Following Your Initiative

Summative evaluations happen when the initiative is already in place or completed. Use this sort of assessment to measure what employees like about the initiative and what might be improved.

All three types of evaluations are useful. The assessment you choose is dependent upon the time and financial resources you have available.