A program evaluation is the systematic examination of any activity undertaken

A program evaluation is the systematic examination of any activity undertaken by government to make a determination about their effects, both short and long term. Programs are typically evaluated based on their compliance, efficiency and effectiveness/relevance. Some have stated these three evaluation criteria do not adequately evaluate the success of a government program. Therefore, in addition to the three evaluation criteria stated above, propose and discuss a fourth criterion that should be included in a program evaluation to better assess the merits of a government program.