Through testing before and after educational programs, you can assess what the participants need to learn and then measure what they have actually learned. Be aware, however, that a person's knowledge does not prove that the person is using that knowledge in everyday life. Another type of knowledge or achievement testing is done through observation, as when a staff member observes a mother interacting with her child to determine whether there has been progress in mastery of parenting skills. Learned by the caretaker. If they are to be useful as project outcome measures, these observations should be documented so that they can be compared across cases or across time.
Standardized indexes are available for coding observations.
Participant self-reports, including standardized psychological and attitudinal assessments , can also be used to measure need and assess outcomes. You may develop your own instruments to determine, for example, client satisfaction with existing health services or reactions to services offered by your project. There are advantages to using a questionnnaire that has already been developed and field-tested. However, bear in mind that standardized assessments may not adequately reflect the important and unique aspects of your project or the situation of your target population. Physiological health status measures can be used to reveal priority health needs, or indicate the extent of particular health problems in a target population or community.