Download or read book Evaluation Foundations Revisited written by Thomas Schwandt and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2015-06-17 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation examines policies and programs across every arena of human endeavor, from efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS to programs that drive national science policy. Relying on a vast array of methods, from qualitative interviewing to econometrics, it is a "transdiscipline," as opposed to a formal area of academic study. Accounting for these challenges, Evaluation Foundations Revisited offers an introduction for those seeking to better understand evaluation as a professional field. While the acquisition of methods and methodologies to meet the needs of certain projects is important, the foundation of evaluative practice rests on understanding complex issues to balance. Evaluation Foundations Revisited is an invitation to examine the intellectual, practical, and philosophical nexus that lies at the heart of evaluation. Thomas A. Schwandt shows how to critically engage with the assumptions that underlie how evaluators define and position their work, as well as how they argue for the usefulness of evaluation in society. He looks at issues such as the role of theory, how notions of value and valuing are understood, how evidence is used, how evaluation is related to politics, and what comprises scientific integrity. By coming to better understand the foundations of evaluation, readers will develop what Schwandt terms "a life of the mind of practice," which enables evaluators to draw on a more holistic view to develop reasoned arguments and well fitted techniques.

Download or read book Evaluation Foundations Revisited written by Thomas A. Schwandt and published by Stanford Business Books. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation examines policies and programs across every arena of human endeavor, from efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS to programs that drive national science policy. Relying on a vast array of methods, from qualitative interviewing to econometrics, it is a "transdiscipline," as opposed to a formal area of academic study. Accounting for these challenges, Evaluation Foundations Revisited offers an introduction for those seeking to better understand evaluation as a professional field. While the acquisition of methods and methodologies to meet the needs of certain projects is important, the foundation of evaluative practice rests on understanding complex issues to balance. Evaluation Foundations Revisited is an invitation to examine the intellectual, practical, and philosophical nexus that lies at the heart of evaluation. Thomas A. Schwandt shows how to critically engage with the assumptions that underlie how evaluators define and position their work, as well as how they argue for the usefulness of evaluation in society. He looks at issues such as the role of theory, how notions of value and valuing are understood, how evidence is used, how evaluation is related to politics, and what comprises scientific integrity. By coming to better understand the foundations of evaluation, readers will develop what Schwandt terms "a life of the mind of practice," which enables evaluators to draw on a more holistic view to develop reasoned arguments and well fitted techniques.

Download or read book Credible and Actionable Evidence written by Stewart I. Donaldson and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2014-09-10 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addressing one of the most important and contentious issues challenging applied research and evaluation practice today—what constitutes credible and actionable evidence?—this volume offers a balanced and current context in which to analyze the long-debated quantitative-qualitative paradigms. In the Second Edition, the contributors, a veritable “who’s who” in evaluation, discuss the diversity and changing nature of credible and actionable evidence; offer authoritative guidance about using credible and actionable evidence; explain how to use it to provide rigorous and influential evaluations; and include lessons from their own applied research and evaluation to suggest ways to address the key issues and challenges. Reflecting the latest developments in the field and covering both experimental and non-experimental methods, the new edition includes revised and updated chapters, summaries of strengths and weaknesses across varied approaches, and contains diverse definitions of evidence. Also included are two new chapters on assessing credibility and synthesizing evidence for policy makers. This is a valuable resource for students and others interested in how to best study and evaluate programs, policies, organizations, and other initiatives designed to improve aspects of the human condition and societal well-being.

Download or read book Revisiting Truth Beauty and Justice Evaluating With Validity in the 21st Century written by James C. Griffith and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-06-23 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This issue discusses ways of constructing, organizing, and managing arguments for evaluation. Not focued solely on the logic of evaluation or predictive validity, it discusses the various elements needed to construct evaluation arguments that are compelling and influential by virtue of the truth, beauty, and justice they express. Through exposition, original research, critical reflection, and application to case examples, the authors present tools, perspectives, and guides to help evaluators navigate the complex contexts of evaluation in the 21st century. This is the 142nd issue in the New Directions for Evaluation series from Jossey-Bass. It is an official publication of the American Evaluation Association.

Download or read book Evaluation Practice Reconsidered written by Thomas A. Schwandt and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 2002 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taken collectively, the ideas explored here suggest a way of reasoning about and engaging in evaluation that is not bound either to the characterization of evaluation as applied social science or to efforts to foster the development of evaluation as a professional practice of experts. Rather, the book explores evaluation as practical hermeneutics.

Download or read book Program Evaluation Theory and Practice First Edition written by Donna M. Mertens and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Evaluation Theory Models and Applications written by Daniel L. Stufflebeam and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-10-13 with total page 800 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The golden standard evaluation reference text Now in its second edition, Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications is the vital text on evaluation models, perfect for classroom use as a textbook, and as a professional evaluation reference. The book begins with an overview of the evaluation field and program evaluation standards, and proceeds to cover the most widely used evaluation approaches. With new evaluation designs and the inclusion of the latest literature from the field, this Second Edition is an essential update for professionals and students who want to stay current. Understanding and choosing evaluation approaches is critical to many professions, and Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition is the benchmark evaluation guide. Authors Daniel L. Stufflebeam and Chris L. S. Coryn, widely considered experts in the evaluation field, introduce and describe 23 program evaluation approaches, including, new to this edition, transformative evaluation, participatory evaluation, consumer feedback, and meta-analysis. Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition facilitates the process of planning, conducting, and assessing program evaluations. The highlighted evaluation approaches include: Experimental and quasi-experimental design evaluations Daniel L. Stufflebeam's CIPP Model Michael Scriven's Consumer-Oriented Evaluation Michael Patton's Utilization-Focused Evaluation Robert Stake's Responsive/Stakeholder-Centered Evaluation Case Study Evaluation Key readings listed at the end of each chapter direct readers to the most important references for each topic. Learning objectives, review questions, student exercises, and instructor support materials complete the collection of tools. Choosing from evaluation approaches can be an overwhelming process, but Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition updates the core evaluation concepts with the latest research, making this complex field accessible in just one book.

Download or read book Evaluation in Action written by Jody Fitzpatrick and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2009 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An innovative approach to program evaluation that takes readers behind the scenes of real evaluations and the decisions the evaluators made.

Download or read book The Future of Evaluation in Society written by Stewart I. Donaldson and published by IAP. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impetus for this volume lives in a rich and vibrant past. It is organized to honor one of the founders and most prolific contributors to the profession and transdiscipline of evaluation -- Professor Michael Scriven, and to illuminate the future of evaluation in society. Professor Scriven often shares stories of his meetings with Albert Einsten and the frame-breaking evaluation revolution he has led against the value free doctrine of the social sciences. Both his wide eyed graduate students and the more grizzled evaluation veterans in his professional development workshops quickly learn that Scriven is well traveled and has exchanged some of the boldest ideas and visions with the most brilliant thinkers of his time. Scriven insisted that the 2011 Stauffer Symposium and this volume be organized in that genre. He urged us to invite the most thoughtful and influential evaluation theorists and practitioners we could find to join him in a conversation about the future of evaluation in society. Scriven challenges us to examine the five great paradigm shifts that have revolutionized the foundations of evaluation, and that he believes will form the basis for a much brighter future for evaluation in society. Scriven’s revolutionary ideas are followed and challenged by a group of thought leaders in evaluation who do not necessarily shared his views on evaluation, but who have earned his deepest respect and whose evaluation work he admires including Michael Quinn Patton, Ernest House, Daniel Stufflebeam, Robert Stake, Jennifer Greene, Karen Kirkhart, Melvin Mark, Rodney Hopson, and Christina Christie. However, despite his insistence that his colleagues stay focused on the future of evaluation, you will find that many have recounted their adventures, exchanges, and debates with him over the years, as well as pointed out the many contributions that he has made to the development of evaluation and to the improvement of society through his amazing portfolio of evaluation contributions. The Future of Evaluation in Society: A Tribute to Michael Scriven will be of great interest to evaluation scholars, practitioners, and students of evaluation. It will be appropriate for use in a wide range of evaluation courses including Introduction to Evaluation, Evaluation Theory, and Evaluation Practice courses.

Download or read book Core Concepts in Evaluation written by Lori A. Wingate and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2024-07-19 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book features original writings from evaluation′s foundational thinkers, together with new commentaries from contemporary authors. Each section includes an introduction to a core evaluation concept by the editors, a classic reading, two commentaries on that topic by contemporary authors, and a reflection guide written by the editors.

Download or read book Practical Program Evaluation written by Huey T. Chen and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2014-09-19 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second Edition of Practical Program Evaluation shows readers how to systematically identify stakeholders’ needs in order to select the evaluation options best suited to meet those needs. Within his discussion of the various evaluation types, Huey T. Chen details a range of evaluation approaches suitable for use across a program’s life cycle. At the core of program evaluation is its body of concepts, theories, and methods. This revised edition provides an overview of these, and includes expanded coverage of both introductory and more cutting-edge techniques within six new chapters. Illustrated throughout with real-world examples that bring the material to life, the Second Edition provides many new tools to enrich the evaluator’s toolbox. “In this eminently readable book, Chen presents a strong matrix framework for conceptualizing a full range of evaluation strategies and approaches… The writing is exceptionally clear, accessible to novice evaluators, and, because it is fair-minded and principled, of relevance to seasoned evaluators as well.” —Jennifer Greene, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign "Professor Chen's Second Edition of Practical Program Evaluation sets a new standard for providing a variety of systematic frameworks for conducting high quality program evaluations. The readers will come away with a detailed understanding of both conventional and cutting-edge approaches. It is a must-read for practicing program evaluators, evaluation scholars, and students of evaluation." —Stewart I. Donaldson, Claremont Graduate University "Chen brings decades of evaluation and experience to this new edition. He continues his innovative and pragmatic thinking about evaluation, including identifying, constructing, and testing theories that can work in practice. Dr. Chen shows how to blend formative and summative evaluation, process and outcome evaluation, theory and action, and much more.” —R. Burke Johnson, University of South Alabama “Dr. Chen’s latest effort offers evaluators a thoughtful expansion on the topics addressed in Practical Program Evaluation (2005) in terms of program theory, logic modeling, and his evaluation typology. New chapters gleaned from the field reveal solution sets for overcoming challenges in a variety of contexts while still balancing scientific and stakeholder needs. This new work provides a solid foundation for the further development of an evaluator’s acumen.” —Gregg M. Gascon, Ohio State University “Chen has the best conceptual framework, and the quality of his writing and analysis are superb. He takes the reader through the essential steps in evaluation, with particularly valuable treatment of stakeholder involvement.” —Mario A. Rivera, University of New Mexico

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Evaluation written by Sandra Mathison and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005 with total page 519 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 'Encyclopedia of Evaluation' recognises the growth of evaluation around the world & highlights all the major contributions to the field. There are over 400 entries organised alphabetically.

Download or read book Foundations and Evaluation written by Robert Goldmann and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Multisite Evaluation Practice Lessons and Reflections From Four Cases written by Frances Lawrenz and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-04-19 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multisite evaluation settings differ from the single settings common to research on evaluation use. In addition to the primary intended users, there is another important group of potential evaluation users in settings where government agencies or large national or international foundations fund multisite projects: project leaders and local evaluators. If each project site is expected to take part in or support the overall program evaluation, then these individuals frequently serve as links between their projects and the larger cross-project evaluation of the funded program. The field has not, until now, address the topic of how being asked or required to participate in such evaluations affects these people who play a critical role in multisite evaluations. These issue does so in two ways. The first six chapters present data and related analyses from research on four multisite evaluations, documenting the patterns of invovlement in these evaluation projects and the extent to which different levels of involvment in program evluations resulted in different patterns of evaluation use and influence. The remaining chapters offer reflections on the results of the cases or their implications, some by people who were part of the original research and some by those who were not. The goal is to encourage readers to think actively about ways to improve multisite evaluation practice. This is the 129th volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Evaluation, an official publication of the American Evaluation Association.

Download or read book What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice written by Stewart I. Donaldson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2009 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice? is the first book of its kind to define and place into greater perspective the meaning of evidence for evaluation professionals and applied researchers. Editors Stewart I. Donaldson, Christina A. Christie, and Melvin M. Mark provide observations about the diversity and changing nature of credible evidence, include lessons from their own applied research and evaluation practice, and suggest ways in which practitioners might address the key issues and challenges of collecting credible evidence." "This book is appropriate for a wide range of courses, including Introduction to Evaluation Research, Research Methods, Evaluation Practice, Program Evaluation, Program Development and Evaluation, and evaluation courses in Social Work, Education, Public Health, and Public Policy."--BOOK JACKET.

Download or read book Fundamental Issues in Evaluation written by Nick L. Smith and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing state-of-the-art perspectives on what evaluation is, its purpose, and how to ensure it is done well, this book brings together major evaluation researchers from a variety of social and behavioral science disciplines. Each chapter identifies a fundamental issue facing the field today; considers its implications for theory, method, practice, or the profession; and explores one or more approaches to dealing with the issue. Among the topics addressed are the nature of expertise in evaluation, how to build a better evidence base for evaluation theory, promoting cultural competence in evaluation, how to synthesize evaluation research findings, ways to involve stakeholders in decision making, and much more.

Download or read book Evaluation Essentials written by Marvin C. Alkin and published by Guilford Publications. This book was released on 2017-09-25 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thoroughly revised and updated, this engaging text has given thousands of students and new evaluators the practical information and expert advice needed to conduct or use evaluations. In 26 concise sections, the book describes how to articulate answerable evaluation questions, collect and analyze data using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and deal with contingencies that might alter the traditional sequence of an evaluation. Special strengths of the text are its attention to individual, organizational, and community culture and emphasis on building collaborative relationships with stakeholders. An in-depth case study and related end-of-section exercises (including group activities) help students put themselves in the evaluator role. Other pedagogical features include section titles written as questions, bulleted recaps of each section, "Thinking Ahead" and "Next Steps" pointers, cautionary notes, and suggestions for further reading. New to This Edition *New and expanded topics: evaluation contracts, budgeting, surveys, data visualization, qualitative coding and memoing, factors affecting evaluation use, and context-sensitive evaluation. *Revised case study with extended exercises that guide the reader to complete a simulated evaluation. *End-of-section "Quick Read" links to recommended American Evaluation Association blog posts. *Four entirely new sections (such as "How Do You Strengthen Relationships with Stakeholders?" and "How Do We Plan a Process-Focused Evaluation Design?"), plus other changes and additions throughout.