This book guides evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet practical, program evaluation—from start to design—within any context, in an accessible manner.
Demystifying the evaluation journey, this is the first evaluation mentoring book that addresses the choices, roles, and challenges that evaluators must navigate in the real world. Experienced evaluator and trainer Donna R. Podems covers both conceptual and technical aspects of practice in a friendly, conversational style. She focuses not just on how to do evaluations but how to think like an evaluator, fostering reflective, ethical, and culturally sensitive practice. Extensive case examples illustrate the process of conceptualizing and implementing an evaluation--clarifying interventions, identifying beneficiaries, gathering data, discussing results, valuing, and developing recommendations. The differences (and connections) between research, evaluation, and monitoring are explored. Handy icons identify instructive features including self-study exercises, group activities, clarifying questions, facilitation and negotiation techniques, insider tips, advice, and resources. Purchasers can access a companion website to download and print reproducible materials for some of the activities and games described in the book.
A comprehensive guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs in developing countries This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs. Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offers practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments. This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy. With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid. Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countries Offers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environments Self-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learning Comprehensive yet nontechnical
Designed to help medical educators implement better assessment methods, tools, and models directly into training programs, Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Clinical Competence, 2nd Edition, by Drs. Eric S. Holmboe, Steven J. Durning, and Richard E. Hawkins, is a hands-on, authoritative guide to outcomes-based assessment in clinical education. National and international experts present an organized, multifaceted approach and a diverse combination of methods to help you perform effective assessments. This thoroughly revised edition is a valuable resource for developing, implementing, and sustaining effective systems for evaluating clinical competence in medical school, residency, and fellowship programs.
"A Practical Guide to Evaluation presents the mechanisms and processes of evaluation with an eye toward illustrating the impact of evaluation on the long-term success of agencies. The book utilizes a circular six-step Evaluation Decision-Making Model to discuss every stage of the evaluation process, highlighting the model's applicability to different types of evaluations in different professional settings. The new edition of the book has been reformatted as a workbook with tear-out checklists, exercises, and decision-making tasks for each chapter, so students and practitioners will have an opportunity to practice skills taught. Unlike many evaluation manuals, which focus purely on theory, A Practical Guide to Evaluation uses literature reviews and logic models, as well as complete case studies, to help social service practitioners connect theory to planning and evaluation."--Back cover.
Toolkits is divided into three sections: underlying principles, practical questions and tools. This new edition brings these up-to-date and discusses the implications of adopting a human rights approach to development and the increased emphasis on partnership. There are new chapters on impact assessment and monitoring and evaluating advocacy, as well as two new tools - one for improving your planning, evaluation, and impact assessment and one for stakeholder analysis.
Evaluating Research in Academic Journals is a guide for students who are learning how to evaluate reports of empirical research published in academic journals. It breaks down the process of evaluating a journal article into easy-to-understand steps, and emphasizes the practical aspects of evaluating research – not just how to apply a list of technical terms from textbooks. The book avoids oversimplification in the evaluation process by describing the nuances that may make an article publishable even when it has serious methodological flaws. Students learn when and why certain types of flaws may be tolerated, and why evaluation should not be performed mechanically. Each chapter is organized around evaluation questions. For each question, there is a concise explanation of how to apply it in the evaluation of research reports. Numerous examples from journals in the social and behavioral sciences illustrate the application of the evaluation questions, and demonstrate actual examples of strong and weak features of published reports. Common-sense models for evaluation combined with a lack of jargon make it possible for students to start evaluating research articles the first week of class. New to this edition New chapters on: evaluating mixed methods research evaluating systematic reviews and meta-analyses program evaluation research Updated chapters and appendices that provide more comprehensive information and recent examples Full new online resources: test bank questions and PowerPoint slides for instructors, and self-test chapter quizzes, further readings and additional journal examples for students.
Offering a multifaceted, practical approach to the complex topic of clinical assessment, Practical Guide to the Assessment of Clinical Competence, 3rd Edition, is designed to help medical educators employ better assessment methods, tools, and models directly into their training programs. World-renowned editors and expert contributing authors provide hands-on, authoritative guidance on outcomes-based assessment in clinical education, presenting a well-organized, diverse combination of methods you can implement right away. This thoroughly revised edition is a valuable resource for developing, implementing, and sustaining effective systems for assessing clinical competence in medical school, residency, and fellowship programs. - Helps medical educators and administrators answer complex, ongoing, and critical questions in today's changing medical education system: Is this undergraduate or postgraduate medical student prepared and able to move to the next level of training? To be a competent and trusted physician? - Provides practical suggestions and assessment approaches that can be implemented immediately in your training program, tools that can be used to assess and measure clinical performance, overviews of key educational theories, and strengths and weaknesses of every method. - Covers assessment techniques, frameworks, high-quality assessment of clinical reasoning and procedural competence, psychometrics, and practical approaches to feedback. - Includes expanded coverage of fast-moving areas where concepts now have solid research and data that support practical ways to connect judgments of ability to outcomes—including work-based assessments, clinical competency committees, milestones and entrustable professional assessments (EPAs), and direct observation. - Offers examples of assessment instruments along with suggestions on how you can apply these methods and instruments in your own setting, as well as guidelines that apply across the medical education spectrum. - Includes online access to videos of medical interviewing scenarios and more, downloadable assessment tools, and detailed faculty guidelines. - An eBook version is included with purchase. The eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references, with the ability to search, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud.
Evaluation of social and education services leads to better practice, however many practitioners find the language of evaluation difficult to conceptualise. A Practical Guide to Evaluation presents the mechanisms and processes of evaluation with a clear eye toward the impact evaluation has for the long-term productivity and success of practices and agencies.
The impact of child maltreatment on victims, families, and society—from immediate medical care and legal services to long-term mental health care and law enforcement—cannot be understated. And it remains a severe problem in spite of increasing public awareness and stricter laws. To keep up with growing body of professionals staying informed on this subject, the third edition of A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect assists the reader in recognizing abuse/neglect (exclusive of sexual abuse) in children and youth, and determining its extent. Illustrated with clinical photographs, the Guide details systematic evaluation procedures, explains the tasks of an evaluation team, and expands and updates the knowledge base in these and other major areas: Specific injuries, including burns, bruises, fractures, and head and abdominal injuries Malnourishment and other forms of neglect Medical child abuse (previously known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) Maltreatment of children with special health care needs Domestic partner violence Prevention strategies, psychosocial assessment, collaborations with law enforcement and the courts, and more The new edition of A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect offers expert information useful to practitioners across professional domains: public health professionals in maternal and child health and school settings; physicians and nurses; clinical social workers, child psychologists, and school psychologists; and attorneys and law enforcement personnel.