Handbook of practical program evaluation

Experts in the field of program evaluation outline efficient and economical methods of assessing program results and identifying ways to improve program performance. Written for managers, administrators, and educators in nonprofit, government, and private institutions, this practical guide demystifies the assessment process. From simple evaluations to more thorough examinations, the authors describe the nuts-and-bolts of how to create an evaluation design and how to collect and analyze data in a way that will result in low cost and successful evaluations.

Meeting the Need for Practical Evaluation Approaches: An Introduction. EVALUATION DESIGN: QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES. Assessing the Feasibility and Usefulness of Evaluation (J. Wholey). Designing and Using Process Evaluation (M. Scheirer). Using Qualitative Approaches (S. Caudle). Outcome Monitoring (D. Affholter). Constructing Natural "Experiments" (D. Rog). Convincing Quasi-Experiments: The Interrupted Time Series and Regression-Discontinuity Designs (R. Marcantonio & T. Cook). Ethical and Practical Randomized Field Experiments (M. Dennis). Synthesizing Evaluation Findings (D. Cordray & R. Fischer). PRACTICAL DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES. Use of Ratings by Trained Observers (J. Greiner). Designing and Conducting Surveys (T. Miller). The Systematic Use of Expert Judgment (H. Averch). Acting for the Sake of Research: The Use Role-Playing in Evaluation (M. Turner & W. Zimmermann). How to Use Focus Groups (D. Dean). Managing Field Data Collection from Start to Finish (D. Nightingale & S. Rossman). Collecting Data from Agency Records (H. Hatry). PRACTICAL DATA ANALYSIS. Using Statistics Appropriately (K. Newcomer). Using Regression Models to Estimate Program Effects (C. Reichardt & C. Bormann). Benefit-Cost Analysis in Program Evaluation (J. Kee). PLANNING AND MANAGING EVALUATION FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. Making Evaluation Units Effective (E. Chelimsky). Managing Evaluation Projects Step by Step (J. Bell). Evaluators as Change Agents (R. Sonnichsen). Making A Splash: Reporting Evaluation Results Effectively (M. Hendricks). Maximizing the Use of Evaluation Results (R. Carter). Conclusion: Improving Evaluation Activities and Results.