What Is a Summative Evaluation and Why Do You Need One?

When a project comes to an end, it’s natural to shift your focus to what’s next. But before you move on, it’s worth taking a moment to look back. A summative evaluation helps you understand what worked, what changed, and what difference your efforts made.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. For small to medium projects, especially across regional WA, the goal is to gather the right information in the right way so you can tell your story clearly and confidently.

At Wander, we help organisations do just that.

Why Evaluation Matters

To Understand and Show Your Impact

A summative evaluation helps you see what was achieved and why it mattered. It turns results into a story of value that you can share with your community, partners, or funders.

To Strengthen Future Opportunities

Good evaluation builds trust. It shows that you take outcomes seriously and positions you strongly for future funding or collaboration. Having clear evidence of success gives your work credibility and helps open new doors.

To Learn and Improve

Every project teaches you something. Evaluation captures those lessons so that next time, you can build on what worked and adjust what didn’t. It’s a simple but powerful way to keep improving over time.

What We Mean by a Light Evaluation Approach

Evaluation can sound big and technical, but it doesn’t have to be. For regional and community projects, the focus should be on what’s useful and realistic. The right approach makes it easy to reflect, report, and grow.

When we talk about a light evaluation approach, we mean keeping things practical and fit-for-purpose. Not every project needs a complex framework or detailed research design. Most of the time, what’s needed is a clear, balanced snapshot that captures outcomes, feedback, and lessons learned in a way that makes sense for the scale of the project.

Our light evaluation approach focuses on:

• Clarity – defining success in simple, achievable terms.

• Proportion – collecting just enough information to show results without creating unnecessary work.

• Relevance – focusing on what matters most to your project, your community, and your partners.

  
  

This approach helps you meet reporting requirements, reflect meaningfully, and celebrate success without over complicating things.

Investing in Evaluation Isn’t Just About Measuring Success; It’s About Ensuring It.

When you take the time to reflect on what worked and what changed, you don’t just tick a box. You build stronger, smarter projects that make a lasting impact.

If you’re delivering a community or regional initiative and want to better understand its outcomes, we can help make evaluation simple, meaningful, and right-sized for your needs.