DEVELOPING A CLIENT BASED FEEDBACK SYSTEM - FOR IMPROVING HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 58754
• Author(s): A H BLOCK; D RICHARDSON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 40 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Project SHARE
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; Project SHARE
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: HUMAN SERVICES MONOGRAPH SERIES, NO. 10 THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM NTIS AS A COMBINED DOCUMENT WITH NCJ-58755.

Annotation

A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING A CLIENT-BASED FEEDBACK INFORMATION SYSTEM TO EVALUATE AND IMPROVE HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS IS DETAILED.

Abstract

SYSTEM ARTICULATION AND FEEDBACK ARE ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS IN IMPROVING PROGRAM PERFORMANCE. ALL FUNCTIONS OF AN ORGANIZATION OR PROGRAM MUST BE ARTICULATED BY STATEMENTS THAT DEFINE INPUTS, PROCESSES, AND OUTPUTS. ISSUES IN SYSTEM ARTICULATION LIE IN IDENTIFYING POLICIES AND STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO MEASURABLE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS. FEEDBACK IS A TWO-PART CYCLIC PROCESS THAT INVOLVES EVALUATING PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INITIATING CORRECTIVE ACTION. CORRECTIVE ACTION IS THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUE IN FEEDBACK. EVALUATION IS THE ONGOING ANALYSIS OF THE CYCLIC PROCESS IN FEEDBACK TO DETERMINE PROGRAM EFFECTS. IMPACT EVALUATION FOCUSES ON THE RELATION BETWEEN EFFECTIVE PROCESSES AND GOAL ATTAINMENT, THE INTENT BEING TO UPGRADE GOAL ACHIEVEMENT ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. PROCEDURES ARE DESCRIBED FOR DEFINING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES, DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK TO IDENTIFY FEEDBACK NEEDS, ASCERTAINING INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS IN A CLIENT-ORIENTED FEEDBACK SYSTEM, AND DEVELOPING AN INFORMATION SYSTEM. SUPPORTING FIGURES, TABLES, AND CHARTS ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)