| Description | A specific set of activities carried out according to guidelines to achieve a defined purpose. | A general category of programs, strategies, or procedures that share similar characteristics with regard to the issues they address and how they address them. |
| Question answered | How effective are program outcomes according to the most rigorous evaluation(s) available? | How effective is this general practice on average across many evaluations? |
| Example | Does the ABC Mentoring Program in Anytown, USA achieve it’s outcome goals? | Does mentoring usually achieve its goals? |
| Evidence ratings | For programs rated prior to March 2025, a single evidence rating is provided per program. For programs rated starting in March 2025, an evidence rating is provided for each outcome affected by the program. | An evidence rating is provided for each outcome affected by the practice. |
| Evidence base | Up to 10 rigorous evaluations of a specific program. | Meta-analyses that assess the average effectiveness of the practice on various outcomes across a large number of studies. |
| Research methods | Experimental or quasi-experimental designs. | Meta-analyses of experimental or quasi-experimental designs. |
