Evaluation of the programme or agency:
It can be based on following:
i) Audit or review of programme or agency: This can be continuously done by the staff through internal audit or by an outside agency called external audit. The main feature of audit consists of data clarification that make comparisons easy, verifying statements in the records by appropriate checks, establishing accuracy of selected procedure by securing independent estimations, comparing verifiable facts with written criteria.
ii) Field observation and discussion: One of the group of professional workers with experience and judgement, go to the field and observe services in action, discuss the programme with the field personnel, make a spot review of records on the basis of an outline. On the basis of this, the auditor gains impressions of the service and is able to make judgements on the quality of performance. The advantage of an audit approach is that it provides for the use of combined value judgments as well as for statistical data in evaluation.
iii) Community survey: Periodic audits of health activities on a community wise basis are invaluable. There can, of course, be a stipulated "ideal' time interval for such audits, but the interval will vary with the needs of the area and the rate of change in the agency's work. However, there would seem to be activities of a community at least once in every 10 years, either by the consultants or by the local civic groups. Some communities are using a five-year interval as the health agencies might tend to become complacent to fail to realize fully the potential they have for helping with newer health problems.