What component of evaluation can be described as the measures of program effectiveness and impact?

The component of evaluation that focuses on measures of program effectiveness and impact is outcomes. Outcomes refer to the changes, benefits, or impacts that directly result from a program's activities. They go beyond mere outputs, which are the direct products or services delivered by the program, to assess what those outputs actually achieve in terms of social change or improved well-being for the target population.

Outcomes measure the effectiveness of a program by evaluating whether it has successfully addressed the problem it aimed to solve or the needs it intended to meet. They are usually assessed through various methods such as surveys, statistics, interviews, or analysis of existing data to ascertain the degree of change occurs in the community or among participants as a result of the program.

This understanding is crucial for social work practitioners, as it informs future programming and funding decisions, ensuring that resources are directed towards methods that produce real, beneficial changes in individuals' lives or systemic conditions.