The application of the logic of evaluation to the real world

This blog, in Psychology Today, clearly describes the logic of evaluation using the example of evaluating a car.

This article defines evaluation as "... the process of determining the merit, worth, or significance of something, and an evaluation is a concrete product of that process." This process is broken down into four steps:

1. Defining the criteria for evaluation
2. Setting performance standards
3. Measuring actual performance
4. Synthesising results to reach an evaluative judgment

For the purposes of this publication, the author focuses on how individuals can make more explicit and systematic decisions about the quality of products, programs, policies, or personnel. However, the logic applies to the evaluation process more broadly and to its use in a professional context.