CURRENT APPLICATIONS OF EVALUATION (FROM PROGRAM EVALUATION - ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, 1975, BY JACK ZUSMAN ET AL - SEE NCJ-50594)

• NCJ Number: 50603
• Author(s): W A HARGREAVES; C C ATTKISSON; M H MCINTYRE; L M SIEGEL
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: D C Heath and Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

VISITS WERE MADE TO A VARIETY OF HUMAN SERVICE CENTERS IN 1972 AND 1973 TO ASSESS PRACTICES EMPLOYED IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM EVALUATION.

Abstract

ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED DURING THE VISITS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS. RESEARCHERS LOOKED FOR WAYS IN WHICH PROGRAM EVALUATION PROVIDED OR COULD PROVIDE USEFUL TOOLS FOR PROGRAM MANAGERS (ADMINISTRATIVE USE OF EVALUATION). OBSTACLES THAT IMPEDE EFFECTIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION WERE IDENTIFIED. TO CLARIFY THESE OBSTACLES AND VALIDATE PERCEPTIONS OF EVALUATION, A GROUP OF 80 PROGRAM MANAGERS, EVALUATORS, AND CLINICIANS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF CALIFORNIA WAS QUERIED USING THE NOMINAL GROUP METHOD, A STRUCTURED GROUP PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND PLANNING PROCESS. THESE INDIVIDUALS NOTED FIVE AREAS OF CONCERN RELEVANT TO ENHANCING A PROGRAM'S CAPABILITY FOR EVALUATION: LACK OF WELL-DEFINED PROGRAM GOALS, LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT THE ROLE OF EVALUATION, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING EVALUATION DATA PERTINENT TO SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A USEFUL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION DATA BASE, AND LACK OF ESTABLISHED METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC SERVICE TECHNIQUES. CONCEPTUAL AREAS OF EVALUATION ARE SUMMARIZED IN A MODEL OF PROGRAM EVALUATION CAPABILITY. THE MODEL IS CONCERNED WITH THREE ASPECTS OR DIMENSIONS OF THIS CAPABILITY: LEVEL OF EVALUATION ACTIVITY, LEVEL OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION CAPABILITY, AND DEGREE OF INTEGRATION OF EVALUATION INTO MANAGEMENT. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES IN PROGRAM EVALUATION INVOLVE RUDIMENTARY MONITORING, INTEGRATED MONITORING, OUTCOME OPTIMIZATION, AND INFORMATIONAL CAPABILITY. THE ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE OF EVALUATION IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN DETERMINING HOW QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGEMENT LEARNS TO UTILIZE EVALUATION METHODS. DATA ON PROGRAM EVALUATION APPLICATIONS BY 51 PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS VISITED IN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, ARIZONA, AND HAWAII ARE TABULATED. RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE PROGRAM EVALUATION CAPABILITY ARE OFFERED, PARTICULARLY THROUGH MANAGEMENT USE OF BRIEF OUTCOME EXPERIMENTS AND OTHER TIME-LIMITED STUDIES AND THROUGH THE STUDY OF COMMUNITY IMPACT AT THE LEVEL OF THE TOTAL NETWORK OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE EFFORTS IN A COMMUNITY. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)