NCJ Number
37926
Date Published
1976
Length
63 pages
Annotation
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP AN APPROACH BY WHICH REGIONAL PLANNING UNITS COULD MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF LOCAL PROJECTS, RATHER THAN ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAM UNDER WHICH THE PROJECT WAS FUNDED.
Abstract
THE APPROACH WAS TO BE SIMPLE IN TECHNIQUE, ALLOW FOR BOTH MONITORING AND EVALUATION, AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION DESIRED BY LOCAL OFFICIALS IN CONSIDERING THE CONTINUATION OF PROJECTS. THE BASIC EVALUATION FRAMEWORK DIVIDED A PROJECT INTO THREE DISTINCT SETS OF OBJECTIVES - THE IMMEDIATE, THE INTERMEDIATE, AND ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES. ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH OBJECTIVES WERE ACHIEVED INCORPORATED EDWARD SUCHMAN'S PROPOSED CATEGORIES OF CRITERIA, WITH THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES TO THE LEVELS OF OBJECTIVES DETERMINED BY THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ASSESSMENT WAS CARRIED, THAT IS, WHETHER A GIVEN LEVEL WAS MONITORED OR EVALUATED. THE CRITERIA EMPLOYED TO MEASURE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF EACH LEVEL OF OBJECTIVES WERE MEASUREMENT OF EFFORT, MEASUREMENT OF PERFORMANCE, ADEQUACY OF PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY OF PERFORMANCE, AND PROCESS ANALYSIS. THE MEASUREMENT OF EFFORT CATEGORY WAS ASSIGNED TO THE IMMEDIATE AND INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES, AND PROVIDED THE CRITERIA FOR MONITORING. EVALUATION OCCURRED AT THE LEVEL OF THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES THROUGH THE OTHER FOUR CATEGORIES. A FIELD TEST OF THE APPROACH WAS PERFORMED THROUGH THE EVALUATION OF SIX VOLUNTEER PROJECTS. THIS TEST WAS LIMITED BY THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE APPLICATION TO BEGIN CONCURRENTLY WITH THE PROJECTS. COST ASSESSMENTS FOR EFFICIENCY OF PERFORMANCE WERE PROBLEMATIC AND A CONSISTENT PROCEDURE WAS NOT ACHIEVED. HOWEVER, THE FIELD TEST EXPERIENCE INDICATED THAT THE APPROACH MET THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED. A 23-ITEM BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. FOR A TRAINING MANUAL ON THE USE OF THIS APPROACH, SEE NCJ-37785. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)