ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF EVALUATION - WHEN NORMS OF VALIDITY FAIL TO GUIDE GATE-KEEPING DECISIONS - WITH SEPARATE COMMENTARY (FROM EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS - NCJ-18713)

• NCJ Number: 18716
• Author(s): S Z NAGI; J H BEHLING
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 29 pages
• Corporate Author: Schenkman Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A REVIEW OF POTENTIAL INFLUENCES ON ENTRANCE AND ELIGIBILITY DECISIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS DEALING WITH BENEFITS AND SERVICES WHEN CLEAR AND DEMONSTRABLE CRITERIA ARE LACKING, WITH IMPLICATIONS TO EVALUATION.

Abstract

THE PATTERNS OF GATE-KEEPING (ENTRANCE AND ELIGIBILITY) DECISIONS AND FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THEM ARE FIRST IDENTIFIED. DECISIONS ARE CATEGORIZED EITHER AS ROUTINE, IN WHICH OBJECTIVE NORMS FOR GATE-KEEPING DECISIONS ARE EMPLOYED, OR AS NON-ROUTINE, IN WHICH SUCH NORMS ARE NOT AVAILABLE SOURCES WHICH INFLUENCE NON-ROUTINE DECISIONS ARE EXAMINED. AMONG THESE ARE FACTORS RELATED TO APPLICANTS, CONDITIONS RELATING TO DEVISION-MAKERS, AND FACTORS RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONS. SEVERAL IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES ON SCREENING DECISIONS, SUCH AS LEVEL OF DEMAND AND SUPPLY FOR SERVICES, CRITERIA FOR SERVICE EFFECTIVENESS, NATURE OF THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION, AND INTERACTION BETWEEN CLIENTS AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED. SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES WHEN NORMS OF VALIDITY FAIL TO GUIDE DECISIONS, AND THE PATTERNS OF DECISION-MAKING AND CLIENT-ORGANIZATION RELATIONS THAT EVOLVE ARE INVESTIGATED AS WELL. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT WHILE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PRIMARILY PLACED ON OBTAINING VALID MEASURES OF OUTCOME IN THE SENSE OF CHANGE IN CLIENTS CONSISTENT WITH THE SERVICE OBJECTIVES OF PROGRAMS BEING EVALUATED, EQUAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO DEVELOPING WAYS TO ASSESS PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES ACCORDING TO NORMS OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)