The ScienceMetrics blog has so far focused on our scientometric, data mining and science policy activities, but we also have a long history of conducting evaluations of S&T-related programs and initiatives. In my opinion, the most fun to be had on the job is when we team up to combine our quantitative and qualitative analysis skills on a project. To kick off a series of posts from the evaluation side of Science-Metrix, in this post I’ll present an introductory Q&A on program evaluation, and next week I’ll discuss how to maximize the use of evaluation findings. Read on for the what, why, when and how of program evaluation.