MANAGERIAL USE OF EVALUATION FINDINGS (FROM EVALUATOR AND MANAGEMENT, 1979, BY HERBERT C SCHULBERG AND JEANETTE M JERRELL - SEE NCJ-63825)

• NCJ Number: 63834
• Author(s): E C WEEKS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REVISION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EVALUATION RESEARCH SOCIETY, WASHINGTON, DC, NOVEMBER 2-4, 1978

Annotation

EVALUATION UTILIZATION IS EXAMINED SCIENTIFICALLY AS A VARIABLE, DEPENDENT ON ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION OF THE EVALUATOR, METHODOLOGICAL PRACTICES, AND DECISIONMAKING CONTEXT.

Abstract

THE EVALUATORS' LOCATION IN THE ORGANIZATION IS DETERMINED BY THEIR ACCESS TO PROGRAM DECISIONMAKERS, THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROGRAM, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STAFF. METHODOLOGICAL PRACTICES EMPLOYED AFFECT UTILIZATION THROUGH THE QUALITY AND AMOUNT OF RELEVANT INFORMATION PROVIDED, AND THROUGH THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS CREATED IN IMPLEMENTING THE METHODOLOGY. THE DECISION CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT IF THE DECISIONS HAVE BROAD IMPLICATIONS AND ARE IMPORTANT TO THE ORGANIZATION AND IF THERE IS DIFFICULTY IN SELECTING ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION. EVALUATIONS OF 76 SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS WERE IDENTIFIED. QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING THE THREE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE SUBMITTED TO THE EVALUATORS. UTILIZATION WAS ASSESSED BY AN INSTRUMENT WHICH PRESENTED 10 STATEMENTS DESCRIBING VARYING DEGREES TO WHICH EVALUATION FINDINGS WERE APPLIED TO SPECIFIC PROGRAM DECISIONS. PROGRAM MANAGERS WERE ASKED TO RANK-ORDER THESE STATEMENTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL EVALUATIONS APPEAR TO BE WELL UTILIZED. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS REPORTED THAT THE EVALUATION REPORT WAS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFORMATION USED BY DECISIONMAKERS. THE HIGH UTILIZATION INDICATED IS DUE TO THE DECISIONMAKING LEVEL APPEALED TO, WHICH WAS THE 'LOWER' OPERATIONS-ORIENTED LOCAL SPHERE. ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION OF THE EVALUATOR HAS LITTLE BEARING ON UTILIZATION. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN METHODOLOGICAL PRACTICES AND UTILIZATION, HOWEVER, IS MUCH STRONGER. DECISIONMAKERS PREFER EVALUATIONS EMPLOYING MULTIPLE MEASURES TAKEN FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES, AS WELL AS MORE QUALITATIVE FORMS OF DATA ANALYSIS. THERE IS NO OBSERVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DECISION CONTEXT AND EVALUATION UTILIZATION. CONTINUED RESEARCH OF UTILIZATION AT THE SERVICE DELIVERY LEVELS IS URGED. A QUESTIONNAIRE, NOTE, TABLES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)