ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION - WITH SEPARATE COMMENTARY (FROM EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS. 1974 BY WILLIAM C. SZE AND JUNE G. HOPPS - SEE NCJ-18713)

• NCJ Number: 18717
• Author(s): C H WEISS; J W DUNCAN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Schenkman Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A DESCRIPTION OF THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION, TRADITIONAL EVALUATIVE RESEARCH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM METHODS OF PROGRAM EVALUATION.

Abstract

THREE TYPES OF DECISIONS - POLICY, STRATEGIC, AND TACTICAL - WHICH ARE FACED IN PROGRAM DECISION-MAKING ARE FIRST OUTLINED. THE AUTHOR THEN DISCUSSES THE THREE ALTERNATIVE EVALUATION MODELS. WHILE ALL OF THESE DEAL WITH OUTCOME DATA, EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMS IN ATTAINING THEIR GOALS, EACH IS APT FOR ANSWERING A DIFFERENT ORDER OF QUESTION AND SUPPLYING INFORMATION FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DECISION. THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT INVOLVES THE LAUNCHING AND TESTING OF PROTOTYPES OF NEW VENTURES. THEIR FUNCTION IS TO INFORM THE POLICY-MAKER OF THE VIABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF INNOVATIONS BEFORE THE COMMITMENT OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, TIME, AND EFFORT. TRADITIONAL EVALUATION, USED TO STUDY ONGOING PROGRAMS, CAN ASSESS OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS TO SOME EXTENT AND IS SEEN AS BEING MOST VALUABLE IN THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAM COMPONENTS. ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS CONSIDER THE CRITERIA OF PROGRAM SUCCESS AS SPECIFIED BY THE USER, AND AT REGULAR INTERVALS, THROUGH THE USE OF DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS, PRODUCE DATA THAT DISPLAY THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM ON THESE MEASURES. AS SUCH, IT IS A CONTINUOUS EVALUATION SYSTEM. THE SEPARATE COMMENTARY OFFERS CRITICISMS OF THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT MODEL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)