EVALUATION IN THE CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN HUMAN SERVICES (FROM EVALUATION OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS, 1978, BY C CLIFFORD ATTKISSON ET AL - SEE NCJ-51554)

• NCJ Number: 51556
• Author(s): H W DEMONE JR; H C SCHULBERG; A BROSKOWSKI
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: Academic Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IDEOLOGIES AND TRENDS AFFECTING THE DELIVERY OF HUMAN SERVICES ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF PROGRAM EVALUATION IS CONSIDERED.

Abstract

THE PROLIFERATION OF CATEGORICALLY DELIMITED SERVICE PROGRAMS HAS RESULTED IN COMPLEXITY, RIGIDITY, INEFFICIENCY, AND INEFFECTIVENESS, GIVING RISE TO A GROWING TREND TOWARD DESIGNATING THE WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH, AND SOCIAL WELFARE INTERVENTIONS AS GENERAL HUMAN SERVICES. THIS TREND REFLECTS NOT ONLY DISCONTENT WITH CATEGORICAL PROGRAMMING, BUT ALSO RECOGNITION OF THE COMMON ELEMENTS UNDERLYING THE PROBLEMS AND ACTIONS CHARACTERISTIC OF DIVERSE CARE GIVERS. THE TYPES AND LEVELS OF HUMAN SERVICES PROVIDED TO A COMMUNITY STEM FROM THE INTERACTION OF MANY FACTORS: EVOLVING IDEOLOGIES AND SOCIAL VALUES; EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES; CHANGING ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES; MODIFIED PROGRAM STRUCTURES; AND ALTERED MANPOWER UTILIZATION PATTERNS. IN HUMAN SERVICES, THE IDEOLOGICAL TREND HAS BEEN TOWARD EQUITY OF CARE, PERSONAL CHOICE, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION, DECRIMINALIZATION, AND PROFITMAKING. SOCIETY'S LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION IS A MAJOR FORCE AFFECTING HUMAN SERVICES. WHEN WIDELY APPLICABLE, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS CAN ENHANCE SUCH SOCIAL VALUES AS EQUITY OF CARE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES CONFLICT WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEOLOGIES AND VALUES. ALTHOUGH TENSIONS BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL STAFF CONTINUE TO PREVAIL IN MANY HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, INNOVATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE DELIVERY ARE EMERGING. KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TREND IN ADMINISTRATIVE INNOVATION INCLUDE ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES, MANAGEMENT CONTROLS, PLANNING PROCEDURES, AND PERSONNEL PRACTICES. STRATEGIES THAT ARE EMERGING TO MEET THE GOAL OF INTEGRATED, EFFICIENT SERVICE DELIVERY INCLUDE PURCHASE OF SERVICE (LIMITING GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT TO FISCAL, RATHER THAN SERVICE PROVISION ACTIVITIES), DECENTRALIZATION AND DEVOLUTION (LOCALIZING DECISIONMAKING), CARE-GIVING NETWORKS (BUILDING LINKAGES BETWEEN EXISTING AND PLANNED ORGANIZATIONS, RATHER THAN INCORPORATING ALL SERVICES IN A SINGLE ENTITY), AND SELF-HELP GROUPS. ONE DEVELOPMENT IN MANPOWER UTILIZATION PATTERNS IS FUNCTIONAL JOB ANALYSIS--THE ALLOCATION OF PERSONNEL ON THE BASIS OF A COMPUTER-GENERATED CATEGORIZATION OF ALL TASKS PERFORMED BY A SERVICE AGENCY. AFTER SEVERAL DECADES OF GEOMETRIC GROWTH AND EXPANSION, THE HUMAN SERVICES ARE STABILIZING, EVEN CONTRACTING, IN THE FACE OF ADVERSE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. HUMAN SERVICE INTERVENTIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE DIRECTED AT INDIVIDUAL VULNERABILITY RATHER THAN AT THE BROADER ARRAY OF CAUSATIVE FACTORS IN SOCIETY. THIS NARROWER FOCUS MAY MAKE IT EASIER TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF SERVICES. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)