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"Evaluation"
is a term that can evoke fear and frustration in project managers
and staff. Fear because it is associated with judgment and often
shrouded in highly technical language; and frustration because
the evaluator and the design often seem removed from--and unresponsive
to--the operations and goals of the program. Yet, most funders
require some sort of program evaluation. And, in truth, we all
need some form of formal feedback to keep us on task, maximize
our performance, and help us make the adjustments needed to achieve
our mission. Imagine a team of athletes with no coach and you
have an image of working without evaluation and feedback.
The articles in this quarter's Focus section offer user-friendly,
state-of-the-art evaluation techniques that not only clarify if
you are getting to where you want to go, but help you to get there.
(Note that Barry Kibel's "Outcome Engineering" originally
appeared in New Designs Volume 12 #1 as "Evaluation
Using Results Mapping" and has evolved to the current iteration
after several generations of field trial and feedback.)
Research and
Practice:
Issues
to be Considered in Evaluating Programs for Children and Youth
Mary
C. Sengstock, Ph.D., Melanie Hwalek, Ph.D.
Spring 1999, v15-2
Youth
Leadership: Linking Research and Program Theory to Exemplary Practice
by
Shepherd Zeldin, Linda Camino
Winter 1999, v15-1
Theory
and Practice: Completing the Circle
Theory of Action in Research and Practice
by
Meredith Honig, Joseph Kahne, Milbrey W. McLaughlin
Summer 1998, v14-2
Framing
Issues for Policy and Practice Through Theory-Driven Evaluation
by
Joseph Kahne, Milbrey W. McLaughlin
Winter 1998, v14-1
What
is Outcome Engineering?
by
Barry M. Kibel, Ph.D.
Winter 1996, v12-1 (updated 4/99)
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