The second edition of Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation offers managers, analysts, consultants, and educators in government, nonprofit, and private institutions a valuable resource that outlines efficient and economical methods for assessing program results and identifying ways to improve program performance. The Handbook has been thoroughly revised. Many new chapters have been prepared for this edition, including chapters on logic modeling and on evaluation applications for small nonprofit organizations. The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation is a comprehensive resource on evaluation, covering both in-depth program evaluations and performance monitoring. It presents evaluation methods that will be useful at all levels of government and in nonprofit organizations.
Evaluation is crucial for determining the effectiveness of social programs and interventions. In this nuts and bolts handbook, social work and health care professionals are shown how evaluations should be done, taking the intimidation and guesswork out of this essential task. Current perspectives in social work and health practice, such as the strengths perspective, consumer empowerment, empowerment evaluation, and evidence-based practice, are linked to evaluation concepts throughout the book to emphasize their importance.This book makes evaluation come alive with comprehensive examples of each different type of evaluation, such as a strengths-based needs assessment in a local community, a needs assessment for Child Health Plus programs, comprehensive program descriptions of HIV services and community services for the aged, a model for goals and objectives in programs for people with mental illness, a monitoring study of private practice social work, and process evaluations of a Medicare advocacy program and a health advocacy program to explain advance directives. Equal emphasis is given to both quantitative and qualitative data analysis with real examples that make statistics and concepts in qualitative analysis un-intimidating.By integrating both evaluation and research methods and assuming no previous knowledge of research, this book makes an excellent reference for professionals working in social work and health settings who are now being called upon to conduct or supervise program evaluation and may need a refresher on research methods. With a pragmatic approach that includes survey design, data collection methods, sampling, analysis, and report writing, it is also an excellent text or classroom resource for students new to the field of program evaluation.
This engaging text takes an evenhanded approach to major theoretical paradigms in evaluation and builds a bridge from them to evaluation practice. Featuring helpful checklists, procedural steps, provocative questions that invite readers to explore their own theoretical assumptions, and practical exercises, the book provides concrete guidance for conducting large- and small-scale evaluations. Numerous sample studies—many with reflective commentary from the evaluators—reveal the process through which an evaluator incorporates a paradigm into an actual research project. The book shows how theory informs methodological choices (the specifics of planning, implementing, and using evaluations). It offers balanced coverage of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Useful pedagogical features include: *Examples of large- and small-scale evaluations from multiple disciplines. *Beginning-of-chapter reflection questions that set the stage for the material covered. *"Extending your thinking" questions and practical activities that help readers apply particular theoretical paradigms in their own evaluation projects. *Relevant Web links, including pathways to more details about sampling, data collection, and analysis. *Boxes offering a closer look at key evaluation concepts and additional studies. *Checklists for readers to determine if they have followed recommended practice. *A companion website with resources for further learning.
The Human Resources Program-Evaluation Handbook is the first book to present state-of-the-art procedures for evaluating and improving human resources programs. Editors Jack E. Edwards, John C. Scott, and Nambury S. Raju provide a user-friendly yet scientifically rigorous "how to" guide to organizational program-evaluation. Integrating perspectives from a variety of human resources and organizational behavior programs, a wide array of contributing professors, consultants, and governmental personnel successfully link scientific information to practical application. Designed for academics and graduate students in industrial-organizational psychology, human resources management, and business, the handbook is also an essential resource for human resources professionals, consultants, and policy makers.
'The economic crisis has simultaneously placed a strong emphasis on the role of R&D as an engine of economic growth and a demand that limited public resources are demonstrated to have had the maximum possible impact. Rigorous evaluation is the key to meeting these needs. This Handbook brings together highly experienced leaders in the field to provide a comprehensive and well-organised state-of-the-art overview of the range of methods available. It will prove invaluable to experienced practitioners, students in the field and more widely to those who want to increase their understanding of the complex and pervasive ways in which technological advance contributes to economic and social progress.' – Luke Georghiou, University of Manchester, UK 'Theoretical and empirical research on program evaluation has advanced rapidly in scope and quality. A concomitant trend is increasing pressure on policymakers to show that programs are "effective". Now is the time for a comprehensive status report on state-of-the-art research and methods by leading scholars in a variety of disciplines on program evaluation. This outstanding collection of contributions will serve as a valuable reference tool for academics, policymakers, and practitioners for many years to come.' – Donald S. Siegel, University at Albany, SUNY, US There has been a dramatic increase in expenditures on public goods over the past thirty years, particularly in the area of research and development. As governments explore the many opportunities for growth in this area, they – and the general public – are becoming increasingly concerned with the transparency, accountability and performance of public programs. This pioneering Handbook offers a collection of critical essays on the theory and practice of program evaluation, written by some of the most well-known experts in the field. As this volume demonstrates, a wide variety of methodologies exist to evaluate particularly the objectives and outcomes of research and development programs. These include surveys, statistical and econometric estimations, patent analyses, bibliometrics, scientometrics, network analyses, case studies, and historical tracings. Contributors divide these and other methods and applications into four categories – economic, non-economic, hybrid and data-driven – in order to discuss the many factors that affect the utility of each technique and how that impacts the technological, economic and societal forecasts of the programs in question. Scholars, practitioners and students with an interest in economics and innovation will all find this Handbook an invaluable resource.
Faced with budget challenges, many districts cannot afford to hire an outside consultant to conduct a formal evaluation of their gifted programs. Districts may wish to conduct their own in-house program evaluation. The second edition of Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators is designed to assist administrators in designing, conducting, and reporting on an evaluation of their gifted programs. Written with the busy administrator in mind, this handbook includes an overview of evaluating programs to ensure that (1) the program structure is based on best practice, (2) students are achieving at levels commensurate with their abilities, and (3) the program develops skills that gifted students will need to be meaningful contributors in society, including higher level thinking, communication, and affective skills. The book provides all of the tools to assist evaluators, including an in-depth description of how to conduct a program evaluation, the mechanics of collecting and analyzing a variety of different data sources, and how to organize, write, and share the findings. It also features reproducibles, including interview and survey question banks, classroom observation tools, professional development forms, and program element checklists.
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.
Guide to the evaluation of programmes in educational planning - covers fundamentals of programme evaluation, objectives and decision making, design and planning methodologys, e.G. Comparison with control groups, measurement of attitudes, and success, statistical analysis, and related evaluation techniques to quantify assertions (conducting surveys and writing an evaluation report). Bibliographys, diagrams, illustrations, questionnaires and statistical tables.
Including a new section on evaluation accountability, this Third Edition details 30 standards which give advice to those interested in planning, implementing and using program evaluations.
This text provides a solid foundation in program evaluation, covering the main components of evaluating agencies and their programs, how best to address those components, and the procedures to follow when conducting evaluations. Different models and approaches are paired with practical techniques, such as how to plan an interview to collect qualitative data and how to use statistical analyses to report results. In every chapter, case studies provide real world examples of evaluations broken down into the main elements of program evaluation: the needs that led to the program, the implementation of program plans, the people connected to the program, unexpected side effects, the role of evaluators in improving programs, the results, and the factors behind the results. In addition, the story of one of the evaluators involved in each case study is presented to show the human side of evaluation. This new edition also offers enhanced and expanded case studies, making them a central organizing theme, and adds more international examples. New online resources for this edition include a table of evaluation models, examples of program evaluation reports, sample handouts for presentations to stakeholders, links to YouTube videos and additional annotated resources. All resources are available for download under the tab eResources at www.routledge.com/9781138103962.
