NCJ Number
53101
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
STRATEGIES TO MAKE EVALUATION MORE USEFUL TO PROGRAM MANAGERS AND APPROPRIATE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND POLICY VARIABLES FOR EFFECTIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE CENTRAL PURPOSE OF EVALUATION IS TO IMPROVE SERVICES. THE FOLLOWING FIVE PARTS CONSTITUTE THE EVALUATION PROCESS: THE FORMULATION OF THE EVALUATION DESIGN, THE SELECTION OF EVALUATION CRITERIA, THE DETERMINATION OF A SPECIFIC EVALUATION DESIGN, THE SELECTION OF POLICY VARIABLES TO BE INCLUDED IN EVALUATION, AND THE APPLICATION OF EVALUATION RESULTS. AT LEAST SOME PROGRAM MANAGERS SHOULD BE INTERVIEWED BEFORE THE START OF EVALUATION TO OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS CONCERNING OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA AND TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO HOW AN INTERVENTION IS EXPECTED TO OPERATE AND WHAT FACTORS AFFECT PROGRAM SUCCESS. IN THE SELECTION OF EVALUATION CRITERIA, IT IS NECESSARY TO FOCUS ON MEASURES OF IMPACT, TO INCLUDE CRITERIA OVER WHICH MANAGERS HAVE SOME CONTROL, TO DISAGGREGATE CRITERIA, AND TO PROVIDE TIMELY FEEDBACK. IT IS OFTEN TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO UNDERTAKE RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTS IN THE EVALUATION DESIGN APPROACH, ALTHOUGH EVALUATION RESOURCES ARE LIKELY TO BE HIGHLY CONSTRAINED WITH SUCH AN APPROACH. POLICY VARIABLES OF CONCERN TO PROGRAM MANAGERS INVOLVE PROGRAM OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS STAFFING PATTERNS AND ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES. ATTITUDES OF EMPLOYEES IN A PROGRAM BEING EVALUATED CAN BE SURVEYED, WHERE FEASIBLE, TO HELP IDENTIFY POSSIBLE BARRIERS TO MORE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PERFORMANCE. AT THE COMPLETION OF EVALUATION, WRITTEN SUGGESTIONS ON PROGRAM PROBLEMS AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE RESOLVED AND THE ORAL BRIEFING OF MANAGERS CONCERNING EVALUATION RESULTS ARE RECOMMENDED.