NCJ Number
52661
Date Published
1978
Length
108 pages
Annotation
THIS TEXT, DESIGNED TO ENABLE SOCIAL PROGRAM EVALUATORS TO CONDUCT AND INTERPRET EVALUATIONS, DISCUSSES BASIC EVALUATION PROCEDURES, THEORIES, POLITICS AND ETHICS, COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
Abstract
EVALUATIONS ARE CONDUCTED TO IMPROVE OR TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROGRAM. THE INITIAL STEP IN EVALUATION IS THE FORMULATION OF CREDIBLE EVALUATION QUESTIONS THAT REFLECT THE PROGRAM'S GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS THE CLIENT'S INFORMATION NEEDS. AT THE EVALUATION DESIGN STAGE, THE RESEARCHER ESTABLISHES SUBJECT AND VARIABLE GROUPINGS, IDENTIFIES INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES, AND ASSESSES THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY OF THE DESIGN. TO PLAN FOR INFORMATION COLLECTION, THE EVALUATOR MUST CONSIDER THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS, THE INFORMATION COLLECTION TECHNIQUES, AND THE DESIGN STRATEGY THAT IS USED TO GROUP AND SAMPLE SUBJECTS AND TO STRUCTURE THE INFORMATION ANALYSIS. INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUIRES THE EVALUATOR TO HIRE AND TRAIN INFORMATION COLLECTORS, TO PRETEST AND OBTAIN CLEARANCE FOR THE PROCEDURES AND INSTRUMENTS, AND FINALLY TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION. THE DATA ARE THEN ANALYZED THROUGH A PROCESS OF DATA SUMMARIZATION AND SYNTHESIZATION. INFORMATION ANALYSIS INVOLVES PREPARING THE DATA FOR ANALYSIS, APPLYING APPROPRIATE ANALYTIC METHODS, AND INTERPRETING THE RESULTS. THE EVALUATOR IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING EVALUATION INFORMATION TO CLIENTS IN A FORM THAT IS EASY TO USE; I.E., REPORTS, MEMORANDUMS, MEETING PRESENTATIONS, OR TELEPHONE CALLS, IN ADDITION TO THE FEW FORMAL AND VERY DETAILED EVALUATION REPORTS. MANAGEMENT OF AN EVALUATION INVOLVES PREPARING AND FOLLOWING ACTIVITY SCHEDULES, ASSIGNING EVALUATION STAFF AND CONSULTANTS TO SPECIFIC EVALUATION TASKS, AND DEVELOPING AND ADHERING TO BUDGETS. THE GUIDELINES IN THE TEXT GIVE PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE DUTIES OF THE IMPROVEMENT EVALUATOR AS OPPOSED TO THE DUTIES OF AN EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATOR. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED.