Notes
on Program Evaluation
(based on Evaluation
Methodology Basics, E. Jane Davidson, Sage Press, 2005)
- Identify
Evaluative Criteria
- More
than program goals
- Needs
assessment
i.
Identify consumers/those impacted
ii.
Needs vs. wants
- Two-step
approach
i.
Identify and document performance needs
ii.
Investigate underlying causes of performance needs
- Dealing
with Causation
- Ask observers
- Does
content match the outcome?
- Are
there other telltale patterns that suggest one cause or another?
- Does
timing of outcome make sense?
- Is “dose”
logically related to “response”?
- Compare
with “control” group
- Control
statistically for extraneous variables
- Identify
& check underlying causal mechanisms
- Determining
importance
- Stakeholders/consumers
“vote” on importance
- Draw
on knowledge of selected stakeholders
- Evidence
from literature
- Specialist
judgment
- Evidence
from needs and values assessments
- Evidence
of causal linkages
- Criteria
for evaluating evaluation
- Validity
- Utility
- Conduct
- Credibility
- Costs
© 2005 A.J.Filipovitch
Revised 8 June 2005