This article argues that good program evaluation needs to treat educational innovations and processes as it would any other social program. Drawing on the literature in social program evaluation, we argue for the need to understand the theory behind the project which embodies assumptions about how its effects are produced. Once these are articulated and examined, they can then be incorporated into a program logic which lays out inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes and can be used as a planning document for future curriculum development as well as a template for evaluating the program. Some preliminary data from a current evaluation of the use of sustainable development projects sponsored by Engineers Without Borders Australia exemplify how such an evaluation produces fine grained understandings of the mechanisms at work and their effectiveness. The challenge is thrown out for all engineering academics with an interest in education to incorporate these evaluation approaches into their practice.
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