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Program evaluation questions to ask participants

Sixteen questions for the people who took part, sent when a program cycle ends. Takes about four minutes.

  • 16questions
  • About 4 minto answer
  • Then and nowrated at one sitting
  • 3 optionalopen answers
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Program Evaluation Survey · answer to move through it
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Question 1 of 16 Who is answering
How much of the program did you take part in?
All of it
Most of it
About half of it
Less than half of it
I signed up but never started
Question 2 of 16 Who is answering
How did you first find out that the program was open to you?
Someone who runs the program contacted me
A friend or a family member told me
My employer, school or service provider told me
A website, a newsletter or social media
A flyer, a poster or an event
I cannot remember
Question 3 of 16 Who is answering
When did your part in the program finish?
It has not finished yet
Within the last month
One to three months ago
Three to six months ago
More than six months ago
Question 4 of 16 How it was delivered
The program ran the way it was described to me before I joined.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Question 5 of 16 How it was delivered
I was able to take part in the activities that were planned for me.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Question 6 of 16 How it was delivered
Taking part fit around my other commitments.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Question 7 of 16 How it was delivered
The people running the program answered my questions when I had them.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Question 8 of 16 Then and now
Think back to the week before you started. How confident were you then about [WHAT THIS PROGRAM SET OUT TO CHANGE]?
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all confidentCompletely confident
Question 9 of 16 Then and now
How confident are you about [WHAT THIS PROGRAM SET OUT TO CHANGE] today?
1
2
3
4
5
Not at all confidentCompletely confident
Question 10 of 16 What changed
What can you do now that you could not do before the program? Write none if nothing has changed.
Question 11 of 16 What changed
Since the program, which of these have you actually done?
Used something from the program in my work
Used something from the program at home or in my own time
Passed something on to someone else
Contacted a service or a person the program pointed me to
Kept going with something the program started
None of these yet
Question 12 of 16 What changed
The program was worth the time it took me.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Question 13 of 16 Overall, and in their words
Overall, how satisfied are you with the program?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Question 14 of 16 Overall, and in their words
Would you tell someone in your situation to join this program?
Yes, without reservation
Yes, with something they should know first
I am not sure
No
Question 15 of 16 Overall, and in their words
What is the one thing you would change about the program?
Question 16 of 16 Overall, and in their words
Is there anything else the people who run or fund this program should know?

The 16 program evaluation questions

A program evaluation survey is a short questionnaire for the people who took part in a program, sent when their part ends. These 16 program evaluation questions cover how much of it they received, how it was delivered, a then and now confidence rating and what changed. To add items, create an online survey from this set.

Plain text, one question per line, with the answer scale.

Who is answering (3 questions)

Three facts first, so every later result can be split by them.

  1. How much of the program did you take part in?Choose one
  2. How did you first find out that the program was open to you?Choose oneShows which route brought people in.
  3. When did your part in the program finish?Choose one

How the program was delivered (4 questions)

Four statements about things a participant saw first hand.

  1. The program ran the way it was described to me before I joined.Strongly disagree to strongly agreeThe gap between what was offered and what ran.
  2. I was able to take part in the activities that were planned for me.Strongly disagree to strongly agree
  3. Taking part fit around my other commitments.Strongly disagree to strongly agreeThe quickest item to act on before the next cycle.
  4. The people running the program answered my questions when I had them.Strongly disagree to strongly agree

Then and now (2 questions)

One question asked twice at the end, on one scale.

  1. Think back to the week before you started. How confident were you then about [WHAT THIS PROGRAM SET OUT TO CHANGE]?Not at all confident to completely confidentPut the same words in the brackets in both questions.
  2. How confident are you about [WHAT THIS PROGRAM SET OUT TO CHANGE] today?Not at all confident to completely confidentReport the average gain per person.

What changed (3 questions)

Their words, their actions, and whether it was worth the time.

  1. What can you do now that you could not do before the program? Write none if nothing has changed.Open answer, optionalThe best lines belong in your report.
  2. Since the program, which of these have you actually done?Tick all that applyActions people took, counted option by option.
  3. The program was worth the time it took me.Strongly disagree to strongly agree

Overall, and in their words (4 questions)

The two headline figures, then two optional open answers.

  1. Overall, how satisfied are you with the program?Very satisfied to very dissatisfiedReport the share who chose Very satisfied or Satisfied.
  2. Would you tell someone in your situation to join this program?Choose one
  3. What is the one thing you would change about the program?Open answer, optionalThe most-named change is the first fix for the next cycle.
  4. Is there anything else the people who run or fund this program should know?Open answer, optional

How to use the program evaluation survey

Send it to everyone in one cycle of the program (a cohort, a grant year, a season) in the week their part ends, including people who left early.

Before sending, replace the bracketed words in questions 8 and 9 with what the program set out to change, phrased as a participant would say it. Subtract each person's question 8 rating from their question 9 rating and report the average gain.

Report delivery as the average of questions 4 to 7, and satisfaction as the share choosing Very satisfied or Satisfied. Put the response count beside each figure. The CDC framework advises drawing on more than one source,[1] so set these results next to your attendance records.

Left, two rulers with different tick spacing each holding one marker; right, a single ruler holding two markers joined by an arc
Questions 8 and 9: two ratings on one scale.

Program evaluation survey FAQ

What are examples of program evaluation questions?

Did the program run the way it was described? How confident were you before, and how confident are you now? What have you done since? All 16 are listed above with their answer scales.

What is the difference between process and outcome evaluation questions?

Process questions ask how the program was implemented. Outcome questions ask how far it achieved what it set out to do.[1] In this survey, questions 4 to 7 cover delivery and questions 8 to 12 cover what changed for the participant.

When should you send a program evaluation survey?

In the week a participant finishes. For a year-round program, pick a fixed point such as the end of a grant year.

Can I use it as a pre and post survey?

Yes. Send question 9 alone before the program starts, then the full set at the end. Without a first rating, questions 8 and 9 give a before and after in one send.

Related survey templates

A single course with one syllabus fits the course evaluation survey. After one training session, send the post-training survey. One facilitated day has its own workshop survey questions. One talk to one audience needs only the seminar feedback form. To hear from the people who fund the program, use the donor survey. More are in the business survey templates.

BusinessCompliance SurveyWhen the program being judged is a compliance program, scored against a control framework rather than participant experience.15 questions, 5 min TrainingPost Training SurveyAfter one session has been delivered: what to fix before the next cohort, and whether it got used.14 questions, 4 min TrainingWorkshop Feedback SurveyOne facilitated day in one room, rated by the people who were in it.10 questions, 6 min BusinessOperational Efficiency SurveyWhen the subject is a process that runs continuously rather than a program with a start and an end.15 questions, 7 min TrainingTraining Needs Assessment SurveyBefore anything is designed or booked, to decide what is worth building.14 questions, 4 to 5 min BusinessCrisis Management SurveyAfter an incident, when what needs testing is the response plan rather than a program.16 questions, 4 min

Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed

Sources (1)
  1. Kidder DP, Fierro LA, Luna E, et al. "CDC Program Evaluation Framework, 2024." MMWR Recommendations and Reports 73, no. 6 (2024): 1-37. cdc.gov

Hear from the people who took part

Sixteen questions, about four minutes, and a before and after rating from one send.

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