in the context of ITS, evaluation is the investigation into how well the goals and objectives of a project are being achieved. The main purpose of an evaluation is to make any necessary changes in a project so that it can meet or exceed its stated goals and objectives.
Evaluations may be qualitative or quantitative, but the best evaluations use a combination of both qualitative and quantitative information that compares and contrasts converging and conflicting evidence. The most successful evaluations come about when the project's goals and objectives are clearly stated, measurable, and agreed upon by all project stakeholders.