NCJ Number
51180
Journal
Evaluation and Program Planning Volume: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 141-144
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
EXPECTATIONS OF EVALUATORS AND INFORMATION SYSTEM, ACCOUNTABILITY, PROFESSIONALISM, AND EDUCATION ASPECTS OF THE EVALUATIVE PROCESS ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
IT IS ENVISIONED THAT EVALUATORS OF THE FUTURE WILL FUNCTION IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH MANAGERS AND STAFF HAVE WELL-FORMED EXPECTATIONS OF PROGRAM EVALUATORS. EVALUATORS WILL RESPOND TO THESE EXPECTATIONS BY ASCERTAINING THE LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY IN AN ORGANIZATION AND BY LEADING THAT ORGANIZATION THROUGH DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES TO ATTAIN ADEQUATE EVALUATION CAPABILITIES. FIRST, EVALUATORS WILL INSURE THAT ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS ARE REASONABLY CLEAR. SUCH A CONCEPTUAL BASE WILL BE NEEDED TO REVIEW SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND MONITOR THEIR ATTAINMENT. STRUCTURAL OBJECTIVES WILL BE GIVEN PRIMARY ATTENTION, FOLLOWED BY PROCESS, OUTCOME, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT OBJECTIVES. A BALANCE SHOULD BE ACHIEVED BETWEEN TWO MODES OF OPERATION: RESPONDING TO MANAGEMENT ISSUES AS THEY EMERGE, AND INITIATING LONG-RANGE ATTENTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT. IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE, EVALUATORS SHOULD BE INTEGRATED WITHIN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP. THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL ENABLE EVALUATORS TO UNDERSTAND DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES AND NEEDS AND TO ADVOCATE THE DISSEMINATION OF EVALUATION FINDINGS WHEN THEY ARE TIMELY AND RELEVANT. COMPUTERS DO NOT CONSTITUTE THE OPTIMUM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION TOOL IN SMALL TO MODERATE SIZE HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS, BUT THEY ARE NECESSARY IN LARGE AND COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS. THE INTEGRATED NATURE OF EXISTING AND EMERGING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS WILL ENABLE EVALUATORS TO MODIFY THE WAY INFORMATION IS ORGANIZED AND REPORTED. ALTHOUGH QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURES CAN BE STRENGTHENED TO PROVIDE VALUABLE INSERVICE TRAINING, MOST PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENTS WILL NOT BE FACILITATED BY IMPROVED INFORMATION SYSTEMS. A SOPHISTICATED LANGUAGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY WILL CHANGE RELATIONSHIPS OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO FUNDING AND REGULATORY AGENCIES. A REGIONAL LANGUAGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY WILL BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVALUATORS WILL HAVE DEVELOPED AND TESTED COMPONENTS OF THE LANGUAGE WITHIN MANY COMMUNITY-BASED HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PROFESSIONALISM AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROUTINE COMPETENCE IN PROGRAM MANAGEMENT BY EDUCATION, CLIENT PROBLEMS AND PROGRAM OBJECTIVES CAN BE DEFINED AND STANDARD MEASURES AND MEANINGFUL COMPARATIVE DATA CAN MAKE THE EVALUATION OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS POSSIBLE. (DEP)