211: Incorporation of community voices and feedback into program design and implementation through formative evaluation: experiences from Orbis eye care programs

Introduction: This paper explores the increasing importance of formative evaluations in the development sector, with a focus on Orbis International's eye care projects. While summative evaluations are traditionally used to assess project success at the end, formative evaluations offer real-time insights that help improve program design and implementation.

Methods: This paper highlights the role of formative evaluations in understanding community needs and gathering feedback to enhance project effectiveness. Between 2017 and 2019, Orbis Bangladesh conducted formative evaluations for various eye care projects, using qualitative and quantitative methods to engage stakeholders and adjust interventions. Findings: These evaluations informed key program changes, including the renovation of eye care setups, gender-sensitive initiatives, child friendly space, data digitalization, enhanced referral system and the integration of eye care in emergency settings.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that formative evaluations capture community feedback, optimize resource allocation, and ensure sustainable, contextually relevant interventions needed for eye care.

sugandha Midha – Country Director, Orbis International; Munir Ahmed – Country Director, Orbis International