NCJ Number
51959
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
PROGRAM EVALUATION METHODS WHICH LEAA USES TO GET MORE INFORMATION OF GREATER RELEVANCE AND UTILITY ARE DESCRIBED. THE VARYING PERSPECTIVES ON EVALUATION THAT EXISTS WITHIN LEAA ARE ALSO DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FOLLOWING A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION'S FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, THE AGENCY'S EVALUATION STRATEGIES ARE EXAMINED. A RATHER COMPLEX EVALUATION APPROACH IS USED BECAUSE, IN ADDITION TO ASCERTAINING A PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS, LEAA MUST ALSO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY WHICH CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THIS MEANS EVERY LEAA EVALUATION HAS A KNOWLEDGE GOAL, A MANAGEMENT GOAL, AND A DEVELOPMENT GOAL. EXCERPTS FROM A MONOGRAPH ARE QUOTED TO ILLUSTRATE LEAA'S POSITION ON EVALUATIONS. THE AGENCY'S EVALUATIVE RESEARCH IS USED BY SIX TYPES OF PERSONS: THOSE INTERESTED IN THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE, THOSE WHO MUST MAKE POLICY AND PROGRAM DECISIONS, THOSE INVOLVED WITH A PROGRAM WHO MUST IMPROVE OPERATIONS, THOSE WHO WISH TO REPLICATE A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT AND NEED DOCUMENTATION AND OPERATIONS DESCRIPTIONS, THOSE WHO DEVELOP EVALUATION MEASURES AND METHODS, AND EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BODIES INTERESTED IN ACCOUNTABILITY. STEPS LEAA IS TAKING TO IMPROVE EVALUATION PROGRAM RESULTS ARE DESCRIBED, INCLUDING RIGOROUS APPLICATION OF A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MODEL TO THE DESIGN, TESTING AND DEMONSTRATION OF PROGRAMS, BETTER DOCUMENTATION TO AID REPLICATION, GREATER USE OF PROCESS EVALUATION, USE OF MINIEXPERIMENTS WITHIN BROAD AND COMPLEX PROGRAMS, A DECISION-THEORETIC APPROACH TO MAJOR EVALUATIONS, AND INTEGRATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS-TESTING EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INTO THE PRACTICAL TROUBLE-SHOOTING APPROACH ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATIONS RESEARCH. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)