NCJ Number
18714
Date Published
1974
Length
28 pages
Annotation
A CRITICISM OF THE NARROW FOCUS OF MOST EVALUATION RESEARCH, URGING A BROADER CONSIDERATION OF WHERE THE PROGRAM AND EVALUATION EFFORT FIT WITHIN THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE SURROUNDING THE SUBSTANTIVE PROBLEM AREA.
Abstract
TWO MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS IN EVALUATION RESEARCH ARE OUTLINED. THE FIRST AREA OF CONCERN IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH EVALUATION RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES ACTUALLY RESULT IN DEFINITIVE FINDINGS, AND THE SECOND CONCERN IS THE EFFECT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON THE INTEGRITY OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN. THE AUTHOR OUTLINES THE USUAL EVALUATION METHODOLOGY IN WHICH A CONTROLLED FIELD EXPERIMENT TECHNIQUE IS APPLIED THE ONE VARIABLE, USUALLY THE AGENCY'S INTERVENTION STRATEGY, AFFECTING THE LIVES OF THE TARGET POPULATION. THE ADEQUACIES AND INADEQUACIES OF THIS CONVENTIONAL EVALUATION RESEARCH TECHNIQUE ARE EXPLORED. THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT SUCH A PROCEDURE IGNORES THE MULTIPLE CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AND REDUCES THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE EVALUATION RESEARCHER FROM ONE WHO USES HIS EXPERTISE TO DEFINE AND SOLVE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT TO ONE OF A RESEARCH TECHNICIAN. HE STATES THAT THIS APPROACH TO EVALUATION ALSO TENDS TO FOCUS ATTENTION AND BLAME FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS ON THE TARGET POPULATION AND MINIMIZES ATTENTION ON THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A TECHNIQUE OF INFORMED RATIONAL ANALYSIS, IN WHICH THE EVALUATOR EMPLOYS NOT ONLY FIELD EXPERIMENTS BUT SOCIAL THEORY, RATIONAL ANALYSIS, AND INFORMED ASSESSMENTS OF THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT BE UTILIZED INSTEAD OF CONVENTIONAL, LIMITED EVALUATIONS.