"This text provides a solid foundation in program evaluation, covering the main components of evaluating agencies and their programs, how best to address those components, and the procedures to follow when conducting evaluations. Different models and approaches are paired with practical techniques,
...
such as how to plan an interview to collect qualitative data and how to use statistical analyses to report results. In every chapter, case studies provide real world examples of evaluations broken down into the main elements of program evaluation: the needs that led to the program, the implementation of program plans, the people connected to the program, unexpected side effects, the role of evaluators in improving programs, the results, and the factors behind the results. In addition, the story of one of the evaluators involved in each case study is presented to show the human side of evaluation." (Publisher description)
more
"Evaluation: A Systematic Approach is the best-selling comprehensive introduction to the field of program evaluation, covering the range of evaluation research activities used in appraising the design, implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency of social programs. Evaluation domains are presented
...
in a coherent framework that not only explores each, but recognizes their interrelationships, their role in improving social programs and the outcomes they are designed to affect, and their embeddedness in social and political context. Relied on as the “gold standard” by professors, students, and practitioners for 40 years, the new Eighth Edition includes a new practical chapter on planning an evaluation, entirely new examples throughout, and a major re-organization of the book’s content to better serve the needs of program evaluation courses." (Publisher description)
more
"Evaluation Practice for Collaborative Growth highlights the approaches, tools, and techniques that are most useful for evaluating educational and social service programs. This book walks the reader through a process of creating answerable evaluations questions, designing evaluation studies to answe
...
r those questions, and analyzing, interpreting, and reporting the evaluation's findings so they are useful and meaningful for key stakeholders. The text concludes with a devoted to the shifting landscape of evaluation practice as it faces complex systems and issues that are shaped by society. Additionally, the author provides a list of knowledge and skills needed to adapt to a changing landscape and encourages organizations to use evaluation as a mechanism for learning and adapting to change. Her orientation toward community-based approaches and social justice prevail throughout the book's content and align well with a reader's desire to be inclusive and accountable in programing efforts. Nonprofit leaders, social science professionals, and students will find this book helpful for understanding basic program evaluation concepts, methods, and strategies." (Publisher description)
more
"The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation provides tools for managers and evaluators to address questions about the performance of public and nonprofit programs. Neatly integrating authoritative, high-level information with practicality and readability, this guide gives you the tools and process
...
es you need to analyze your program's operations and outcomes more accurately. This new fourth edition has been thoroughly updated and revised, with new coverage of the latest evaluation methods, including: culturally responsive evaluation; adopting designs and tools to evaluate multi-service community change programs; using role playing to collect data; using cognitive interviewing to pre-test surveys; coding qualitative data. You'll discover robust analysis methods that produce a more accurate picture of program results, and learn how to trace causality back to the source to see how much of the outcome can be directly attributed to the program. Written by award-winning experts at the top of the field, this book also contains contributions from the leading evaluation authorities among academics and practitioners to provide the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference on the topic. Valid and reliable data constitute the bedrock of accurate analysis, and since funding relies more heavily on program analysis than ever before, you cannot afford to rely on weak or outdated methods. This book gives you expert insight and leading edge tools that help you paint a more accurate picture of your program's processes and results, including: obtaining valid, reliable, and credible performance data; engaging and working with stakeholders to design valuable evaluations and performance monitoring systems; assessing program outcomes and tracing desired outcomes to program activities; providing robust analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data" (Publisher description)
more
"Agency-based Program Evaluation: Lessons from Practice, by Stephen A. Kapp and Gary R. Anderson, serves as a core textbook in the advanced undergraduate and graduate social work program evaluation courses. It combines the methodology of program evaluation with the reality of working with agencies a
...
nd organizations to describe the effectiveness of their services and programs. Students will gain an understanding of the political and social context and pressures in which a program is developed, implemented and evaluated. This book offers a practice-oriented approach to evaluation. While many program evaluation methods texts often add a or brief sections that describe organizational and political factors, this book begins with the context of an agency-based evaluation and describes the method within that context. Students will gain a more complete understanding of this contextual challenge and will learn techniques for operating in the face of these challenges." (Publisher description)
more