Developmental evaluation (DE) offers a powerful approach to monitoring and supporting social innovations by working in partnership with program decision makers. In this book, eminent authority Michael Quinn Patton shows how to conduct evaluations within a DE framework. Patton draws on insights about complex dynamic systems, uncertainty, nonlinearity, and emergence. He illustrates how DE can be used for a range of purposes: ongoing program development, adapting effective principles of practice to local contexts, generating innovations and taking them to scale, and facilitating rapid response in crisis situations. Students and practicing evaluators will appreciate the book's extensive case examples and stories, cartoons, clear writing style, "closer look" sidebars, and summary tables. Provided is essential guidance for making evaluations useful, practical, and credible in support of social change.
Responding to evaluator and instructor demand, this book presents a diverse set of high-quality developmental evaluation (DE) case studies. Twelve insightful exemplars illustrate how DE is used to evaluate innovative initiatives in complex, dynamic environments, including a range of fields and international settings. Written by leading practitioners, chapters offer a rare window into what it takes to do DE, what roles must be fulfilled, and what results can be expected. Each case opens with an incisive introduction by the editors. The book also addresses frequently asked questions about DE, synthesizes key themes and lessons learned from the exemplars, and identifies eight essential principles of DE. See also Michael Quinn Patton's Developmental Evaluation, the authoritative presentation of DE.
Recognizing that complexity calls for innovative, conceptual, and methodological solutions, Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation by Michael Bamberger, Jos Vaessen, and Estelle Raimondo offers practical guidance to policymakers, managers, and evaluation practitioners on how to design and implement complexity-responsive evaluations that can be undertaken in the real world of time, budget, data, and political constraints. Introductory chapters present comprehensive, non-technical overviews of the most common evaluation tools and methodologies, and additional content addresses more cutting-edge material. The book also includes six case study chapters to illustrate examples of various evaluation contexts from around the world.
The second edition of the Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to impact evaluation for policy makers and development practitioners. First published in 2011, it has been used widely across the development and academic communities. The book incorporates real-world examples to present practical guidelines for designing and implementing impact evaluations. Readers will gain an understanding of impact evaluations and the best ways to use them to design evidence-based policies and programs. The updated version covers the newest techniques for evaluating programs and includes state-of-the-art implementation advice, as well as an expanded set of examples and case studies that draw on recent development challenges. It also includes new material on research ethics and partnerships to conduct impact evaluation. The handbook is divided into four sections: Part One discusses what to evaluate and why; Part Two presents the main impact evaluation methods; Part Three addresses how to manage impact evaluations; Part Four reviews impact evaluation sampling and data collection. Case studies illustrate different applications of impact evaluations. The book links to complementary instructional material available online, including an applied case as well as questions and answers. The updated second edition will be a valuable resource for the international development community, universities, and policy makers looking to build better evidence around what works in development.
This book presents leading-edge analysis on the theory and practice of participatory evaluation around the world. With its instructive case studies from Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and St Vincent, the book is a guide to a community-based approach to evaluation that is at once a learning process, a means of taking action, and a catalyst for empowerment.Knowledge Shared is the most comprehensive book now available on participatory evaluation. It is intended primarily as a tool for practitioners and policymakers in all segments of development cooperatio.
"This is a detailed yet practical guide to planning, developing, and evaluating nursing curricula and educational programs. It provides a comprehensive and critical perspective on the totality of variables impacting curricular decisions...This book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of curriculum development, redesign, and evaluation processes...92 - 4 Stars" --Doody's Book Reviews Reorganized and updated to deliver practical guidelines for evidence-based curricular change and development, the fourth edition of this classic text highlights current research in nursing education as a springboard for graduate students and faculty in their quest for research projects, theses, dissertations, and scholarly activities. It also focuses on the specific sciences of nursing education and program evaluation as they pertain to nursing educators. New chapters address the role of faculty regarding curriculum development and approval processes in changing educational environments; course development strategies for applying learning theories, educational taxonomies, and team-building; needs assessment and the frame factors model; ADN and BSN and pathways to higher degrees; and planning for doctoral education. The fourth edition continues to provide the detailed knowledge and practical applications necessary for new and experienced faculty to participate in essential components of the academic role—instruction, curriculum, and evaluation. At its core, the text discusses the importance of needs assessment and evidence as a basis for revising or developing new programs and highlights requisite resources and political support. With a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, the book addresses the growth of simulation, how to help new faculty transition into the academic role, and use of curriculum in both practice and academic settings. Additionally, the book describes the history and evolution of current nursing curricula and presents the theories, concepts, and tools necessary for curriculum development. Chapters include objectives, discussion points, learning activities, references, and a glossary. New to the Fourth Edition: Reorganized and updated to reflect recent evidence-based curricular changes and developments Highlights current research New chapter: Implementation of Curriculum – Course Development Strategies for the Application of Learning Theories, Educational Taxonomies, and Instruction Team-Building New chapter on Planning for Undergraduate Programs New content on Needs Assessment and the Frame Factors Model New content on Planning for Doctoral Education in Nursing New content on curriculum evaluation, financial support, budget management, and use of evidence Key Features: Supports new faculty as they transition to academe Addresses the need for preparing more faculty educators as defined by IOM report, the ACA, and the Consensus Model Describes the scope of academic curriculum models at every practice and academic level Threads the concept of interdisciplinary collaboration in education throughout Serves as a CNE Certification Review
This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book presents methods to evaluate sustainable development using economic tools. The focus on sustainable development takes the reader beyond economic growth to encompass inclusion, environmental stewardship and good governance. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for outcomes. In illustrating the SDGs, the book employs three evaluation approaches: impact evaluation, cost-benefit analysis and objectives-based evaluation. The innovation lies in connecting evaluation tools with economics. Inclusion, environmental care and good governance, thought of as “wicked problems”, are given centre stage. The book uses case studies to show the application of evaluation tools. It offers guidance to evaluation practitioners, students of development and policymakers. The basic message is that evaluation comes to life when its links with socio-economic, environmental, and governance policies are capitalized on.
A major reason complex programs are so difficult to evaluate is that the assumptions that inspire them are poorly articulated. Stakeholders of such programs are often unclear about how the change process will unfold. Thus, it is so difficult to reasonably anticipate the early and midterm changes that need to happen in order for a longer-term goalto be reached. The lack of clarity about the “mini-steps” that must be taken to reach a long-term outcome not only makes the task of evaluating a complex initiative challenging, but reduces the likelihood that all of the important factors related to the long term goal will be addressed. Most of the resources that have attempted to address this dilemma have been popularized as theory of change or sometimes program theory approaches. Although these approaches emphasize and elaborate the sequence of changes/mini steps that lead to the long-term goal of interest and the connections between program activities and outcomes that occur at each step of the way, they do not do enough to clarify how program managers or evaluators should deal with assumptions. Assumptions, the glue that holds all the pieces together, remain abstract and far from applicable. In this book the author tackles this important assumptions theme head-on-covering a breadth of ground from the epistemology of development assumptions, to the art of making logical assumptions as well as recognizing, explicit zing and testing assumptions with in an elaborate program theory from program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Planning, program development, and evaluation are emerging as routine functions of health care and social agencies. The concepts and approaches presented in this book provide an efficient approach to planning, program development, and evaluation for all health and human service populations.
Impact evaluation is an empirical approach to estimating the causal effects of interventions, in terms of both magnitude and statistical significance. Expanded use of impact evaluation techniques is critical to rigorously derive knowledge from development operations and for development investments and policies to become more evidence-based and effective. To help backstop more use of impact evaluation approaches, this book introduces core concepts, methods, and considerations for planning, designing, managing, and implementing impact evaluation, supplemented by examples. The topics covered range from impact evaluation purposes to basic principles, specific methodologies, and guidance on field implementation. It has materials for a range of audiences, from those who are interested in understanding evidence on "what works" in development, to those who will contribute to expanding the evidence base as applied researchers.
