APPLIED PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE CITIES

• NCJ Number: 54511
• Author(s): T H POISTER; J C MCDAVID; A H MAGOUN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 222 pages
• Grant Number(s): G00-75-02104
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Pennsylvania State University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION, AS APPLIED BY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES, IS DISCUSSED, AND TWO CASE STUDIES OF EVALUATION IN PENNSYLVANIA INVOLVING HOUSING REHABILITATION AND CRIME PREVENTION ARE CITED.

Abstract

THE EVALUATION OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS INVOLVES DETERMINING THE EXTENT TO WHICH A PROGRAM IS ACHIEVING ITS INTENDED OBJECTIVES. AS SUCH, EFFECTIVENESS IS A PRIMARY MEASURE OF PROGRAM PERFORMANCE. MOVING THROUGH THE DESIGN AND CONDUCT OF PROGRAM EVALUATION REQUIRES THE EVALUATOR TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE SUBSTANTIVE DESIGN AND INTENT OF A PROGRAM, TO DEVELOP MEASURES THAT WILL INDICATE WHETHER A PROGRAM IS OPERATING AS INTENDED, AND TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE REAL-WORLD DATA. THE EVALUATION APPROACH OUTLINED IN THE REPORT CONSISTS OF SEVEN STEPS: (1) IDENTIFICATION OF OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFICATION OF PROGRAM DESIGN, (2) DEVELOPMENT OF EVALUATIVE CRITERIA AND A STATEMENT OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS, (3) DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES AND IDENTIFICATION OF DATA SOURCES, (4) DESIGN OF THE OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH, (5) DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING, (6) DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION, AND (7) REPORT WRITING AND DISSEMINATION. THE TWO CASE STUDIES INVOLVE FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROGRAMS. THE HARRISBURG HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM IS PART OF AN ONGOING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM UTILIZING FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE YORK CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON BURGLARIES, IS FUNDED BY THE LEAA. BOTH PROGRAMS REPRESENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PRIORITY PROBLEMS. THEY UTILIZE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR EVALUATION TECHNIQUES IN THAT BOTH ARE TARGETED ON NEIGHBORHOOD OR CITY BLOCKS; THEY ARE ORIENTED TOWARD GEOGRAPHIC AREAS RATHER THAN TOWARD INDIVIDUAL CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS. DIFFERENT ANALYTICAL APPROACHES, HOWEVER, WERE EMPLOYED FOR EVALUATION WITHIN A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN FRAMEWORK. EVALUATION PROCEDURES FOR THE TWO PROGRAMS ARE DETAILED, AND CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO CONSTRAINTS ON EVALUATION, THE INTERPRETATION OF EVALUATION RESULTS, AND THE USEFULNESS OF EVALUATIONS. EVALUATION-RELATED FORMS AND DATA ARE APPENDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED.