U2A1 & U2D1 - Advanced Searching Teachniques - please follow all instructions and read all attached documents. Due Sunday by 9pm. CST. My Field is Public Service Leadership

10/22/2018 Wrapper

http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/HS8512/hs8512u01/transcript.html 1/2

P r i n t

PROGRAM EVALUATION OVERVIEW

Program Evaluation Overview – Introduction Program evaluations are an integral part of nonpro�t management and they are conducted for a variety of very important reasons. One reason could be to determine whether a new program or service is needed. Those types of evaluations are sometimes called needs assessments and we will be going over those in Unit 6 of the course; another reason that a program evaluation might be conducted would be to determine whether a particular service or program should receive funding or whether their funding should be continued. And perhaps the most common reason that a program is evaluated is to look at it retrospectively and determine whether the program is doing what it says it is going to do. In other words, it is an evaluation of the stated outcomes of the program to validate the e�ectiveness of the program. So when we think about program evaluations there a few key points that we want to keep in mind:

Program Evaluation Overview – Part 1 The �rst key point to keep in mind is that a program evaluation is a form of research so you will need to have an understanding of research methodologies and research design principles because these will be used in the construction of the evaluation itself. Now why is this necessary? Well if we think back on why program evaluations are conducted, the �ndings can have a signi�cant impact on the organizations themselves. They can be used to determine whether a program receives funding or whether existing funding is continued; a needs assessment form of a program evaluation can determine whether an important new service is even introduced into a community. So as a result of the impact that these evaluations can have it is very important that evaluators use sound and objective evaluation techniques so that the recipients can have con�dence in the �ndings that they will receive.

Program Evaluation Overview – Part 2 The second point to keep in mind is that sound research is based on sound theory and this is true for program evaluations as well. Before a competent evaluation can be conducted we have to have a clear understanding of the theories and models that the program is based on or that are otherwise applicable to the type of program being evaluated. So for example, if we were going to conduct an evaluation of an AIDS prevention program we would �rst want to know what kind of prevention model was either incorporated into the design or is otherwise applicable to these types of programs. This provides us with context for the selection of appropriate evaluation criteria. So an evaluator will conduct background research before the evaluation ever begins and that research takes the form of a literature review which is included in the �nal report and which you will conduct in Unit 5.

Program Evaluation Overview – Part 3 The third point to keep in mind is that unlike some other forms of research, with program evaluations there will be a broad spectrum of individuals who will have a vested interest in the outcome of the evaluation above and beyond the sponsors of the evaluation itself. These can include clients, members of the board of directors, legislators, as well as funders and the administrators themselves. We call this pool of people "stakeholders" and because of the various reasons why they have an interest in the program there is a need on the part of the evaluator to balance the requirement that they remain objective and ensure that the evaluation is fair and unbiased with a sensitivity to the needs and concerns of those individuals who will be most a�ected by the

C r e d i t s

10/22/2018 Wrapper

http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/HS8512/hs8512u01/transcript.html 2/2

results of the evaluation. In fact, these stakeholders are frequently sources of valuable information that the evaluator will want to incorporate into the evaluation process.

Program Evaluation Overview - Conclusion The ability to deliver a credible but responsive evaluation that meets the needs and concerns of all of the stakeholders draws upon a speci�c set of skills. Typically an evaluation report will be delivered both in written form and frequently with nonpro�t organizations, it will also be delivered as an oral presentation to a group. So we will address that particular element when you develop your communication plan during Unit 8.

This course was designed to expose you to all of the various elements of the program evaluation process. While you will not be actually conducting a program evaluation during this course, you will be designing a program evaluation, which will take the form of a program evaluation plan – your �nal project. This project will give you the opportunity to select an actual nonpro�t program and lay out all of the elements that you would expect to see if that program was being evaluated. This should give you a better understanding of the value and complexity of program evaluations so that you can participate in any future program evaluations with con�dence whether it is as program director whose program is being evaluated, or as a program evaluator yourself.

Subject Matter Expert:

Interactive Design:

Instructional Design:

Project Manager:

CREDITS K. Candis Best, Ph.D. Patrick Lapinski

David Herding

Anne Echtenkamp

L i c e n s e d u n d e r a C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n 3 . 0 L i c e n s e .