Wellness Program Incentives

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

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 make sure that your program is based 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 plan 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 staff members you want to reach
• describe the plan to others
• monitor who is participating in the program

During or After Your Initiative

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

All three types of evaluations have their place. The evaluation you choose is dependent upon the time and financial resources you have available.