Encyclopedia of Counseling Practice Test

Process evaluation asks how a program was delivered, not what happened as a result. It examines implementation details such as fidelity to the planned design, adherence by staff and participants, the amount of intervention actually delivered (dosage), the reach to the intended audience, and the quality of delivery, along with any barriers or supports within the setting. Focusing on these aspects helps explain observed outcomes by showing whether results are due to the program itself or to how it was implemented, and it highlights what might need to change to improve future delivery. This differs from looking at statistical significance, which concerns whether observed effects are unlikely to be due to chance; from cost-effectiveness, which weighs costs against benefits; and from assessing overall client outcomes, which belongs to outcome or impact evaluation.