PROBLEM OF MEASURING THE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL-ACTION PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 16357
• Author(s): T A MOREHOUSE
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 26 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: University of Alaska
• Sale Source: University of Alaska; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EMERGENCE OF PROGRAM EVALUATION, THE LIMITS OF EVALUATION, TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND THE EVALUATION METHODS MOST SUITED TO EACH, AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO EVALUATION ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR IDENTIFIES TWO WAYS IN WHICH EVALUATION CAN FAIL. IT CAN, FOR METHODOLOGICAL REASONS, FAIL TO IDENTIFY AND MEASURE RELEVANT EFFECTS OF PROGRAMS, AND IT CAN FAIL TO PRODUCE 'ACCEPTABLE' FINDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICY MAKERS' COMMITMENTS TO PROGRAM SUCCESS. ALTHOUGH EVALUATION IN GENERAL IS SEEN AS THE MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS IN RELATION TO PROGRAM OBJECTIVES THE AUTHOR STATES THAT MANY PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY THE SOCIALLY ORIENTED PROGRAMS, HAVE BROAD AIMS AND ELUSIVE EFFECTS AND ARE THUS NOT SUBJECT TO USUAL EVALUATION MEANS. THE AUTHOR IDENTIFIES FOUR TYPES OF PROGRAMS, RANGING FROM THOSE WITH SPECIFIC GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS TO THOSE WITH GENERAL AIMS AND EFFECTS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE, AND GIVES SUGGESTIONS FOR EVALUATION OF THESE PROGRAMS. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO EVALUATION ARE PRESENTED. THESE INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHANGING EXTENT AND INCIDENCE OF A PROBLEM, SIDE-EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM, AND PROGRAM EFFICIENCY. IN COMPLEX PROGRAMS WITH UNSPECIFIABLE IMPACTS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PROGRAM PURPOSES OR IMPACTS RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE RANGE OF PROGRAM IMPACTS BE EVALUATED. ALSO, A FREER TYPE OF EVALUATION WHICH MEASURES THE FORM THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY TOOK, THE DETAILS OF ITS INTERACTION WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS, AND GIVES AN INDUCTIVE ASSESSMENT OF ITS CONSEQUENCES IS ALSO SUGGESTED FOR THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM.