Evaluation: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Guiding, and Improving Policies and ProgramsWiley, 15/09/2000 - 416 páginas "This is one of the most coherent and comprehensive theories ofevaluation yet formulated and one that makes a most valuablecontribution. The authors are pioneering in important newdirections." --Ernest R. House, author of Professional Evaluation and Evaluatingwith Validity "This book is the best I've ever read detailing a practical theoryof evaluation. It is comprehensive, beautifully written, and makessense of the evaluation enterprise. It does so by emphasizing themajor function of evaluation as sense-making about policies andprograms." --Thomas D. Cook, professor, sociology, psychology, education, andpublic policy, Northwestern University Programs that serve the needs of the public continually facechanges brought by social, political, and economic forces. Tosurvive these changes, organizations must evaluate their programswisely and realistically. This book offers a new approach toevaluation, one that will encourage all kinds of organizations andagencies to improve their contributions to social betterment. Theauthors draw from three decades of evaluation practice and theoryto present their own framework for conceptualizing evaluation andfor pragmatically assessing social policies and programs. They analyze four purposes of evaluation: * To review the merit of programs and their value to society * To improve the organization and its services * To ensure program compliance with mandates * To build knowledge and expertise for future programs For the practitioner, these purposes help define the approach andmethods for an evaluation. The authors also enrich their discussionwith four possible modes of inquiry: description, classification,causal analysis, and values inquiry. Filled with tables, charts,and figures, this resource invites organizations to make the mostappropriate programming decisions based on thoughtful andsystematic methods. Evaluation: An Integrated Framework forUnderstanding, Guiding, and Improving Policies and Programs is atool that scholars can use to rejuvenate their view of evaluationand that practitioners can use to integrate the best techniqueswith a contemporary understanding of social policy and change. |
Índice
Introducing a Framework for Evaluation | 3 |
Understanding Social Betterment | 18 |
Defining Evaluation Purposes | 49 |
Direitos de autor | |
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Palavras e frases frequentes
approach assessing merit assessment of merit assisted sensemaking Breathalyzer Campbell causal analysis chapter classification clients cluster cluster analysis commonsense realism competitive elaboration complex context contribute decisions defined deliberative democracy democratic institutions discussed eval evaluation practice evaluation purposes example factor analysis goal gram Henry identify important individuals involves issues Jossey-Bass Julnes knowledge development ment merit and worth natural sensemaking natural valuation observed organizational improvement outcomes oversight and compliance paradigm pattern matching policies and programs policy or program principled discovery program and organizational program effects program improvement program or policy program theory programs and policies qualitative qualitative research quantitative methods questions realist Reichardt relevant role selection social betterment social policies social problems social programs specific stakeholder stakeholder groups surveys Thousand Oaks tion tradition types uation underlying mechanisms underlying structures values inquiry variables