PADM 5900: Consulting for Government and Nonprofit Organizations: Evaluation Resources

A highly esteemed and comprehensive overview of program evaluation that covers common approaches, models, and methods. As schools and other organizations increase their demand for information on program effectiveness and outcomes, it has become even more important for students to understand the prevalent approaches and models for evaluation, including approaches based on objectives and logic models, participative, and decision-making approaches. The new tenth edition of Program Evaluation not only covers these vital approaches but also teaches readers how to best mix and match elements of different approaches to conduct optimal evaluation studies for individual programs. Helping both students as well as professionals who are new to the field, this text provides practical guidelines for conducting evaluations, from identifying the questions that the evaluation should address, to determining how to collect and analyze evaluative information, to ascertaining how to provide evaluative information to others. Making extensive use of checklists, examples, and other study aides, Program Evaluation teaches students how to effectively determine the central purpose of their evaluation, thus making their evaluation more valid, more useful, and more efficient. The revised edition of the text includes new approaches to program evaluation, an expanded discussion of logic models, added information on mixed models, and, as always, updated coverage of the most current trends and controversial issues in evaluation.

Since Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, and Howard E. Freeman first published Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, more than 90,000 readers have considered it the premier text on how to design, implement, and appraise social programs through evaluation. In this, the completely revised Seventh Edition, authors Rossi and Lipsey include the latest techniques and approaches to evaluation as well as guidelines to tailor evaluations to fit programs and social contexts. With decades of hands-on experience conducting evaluations, the authors provide scores of examples to help students understand how evaluators deal with various critical issues. They include a glossary of key terms and concepts, making this the most comprehensive and authoritative evaluation text available. Thoroughly revised, the Seventh Edition now includes * Substantially more attention to outcome measurement * Lengthy discussions of program theory, including a section about detecting program effects and interpreting their practical significance * An augmented and updated discussion of major evaluation designs * A detailed exposition of meta-analysis as an approach to the synthesis of evaluation studies * Alternative approaches to evaluation * Examples of successful evaluations * Discussions of the political and social contexts of evaluation  

The book is designed to enable students of public policy, policymakers and mangers to obtain useful information and conduct successful systematic evaluations, even under tight resource constraints. This text presents a wide variety of approaches to evaluation through brief, authoritative articles by top academics and practitioners. Thoroughly revised and updated this third edition is filled with the most current information, up-to-date examples, and puts increased emphasis on practical applicability. The third edition also features a new and up-dated instructor's manual.

The Fourth Edition of the bestselling Utilization-Focused Evaluation provides expert, detailed advice on conducting program evaluations from one of leading experts. Chock full of useful pedagogy--including a unique utilization-focused evaluation checklist--this book presents Michael Quinn Patton's distinctive opinions based on more than thirty years of experience. Key Features of the Fourth Edition Provides thoroughly updated materials including more international content; new references; new exhibits and sidebars; and new examples, stories, and cartoons Includes follow-up exercises at the end of each chapter Features a utilization-focused evaluation checklist Gives greater emphasis on mixed methods Analyzes the pluses and minuses of the increased emphasis on accountability and performance measurement in government at all levels Details the explosion of international evaluation Intended Audience Both theoretical and practical, this core text is an essential resource for students enrolled in Program Evaluation courses in a variety of disciplines--including public administration, government, social sciences, education, and management. Practitioners will also find this text invaluable.

Evaluation Roots: A Wider Perspective of Theorists' Views and Influences, Second Edition provides an updated examination of current evaluation theories and traces their evolution. Marvin C. Alkin shows how theories build upon theories and how the theories are related to each other. The way in which these evaluation "roots" grew to form a tree helps to provide a better understanding of evaluation theory. In addition to the editor's overview, the book contains essays by leading evaluation theorists. In these pieces, the evaluators comment on their own development and give their views of their placement upon the tree. **All royalties from sales of this book are donated to support the AEA Research on Evaluation Student Award.**

"The issue of what constitutes credible evidence isn't about to get resolved. And it isn't going away.This book explains why. The diverse perspectives presented are balanced, insightful, and critical for making up one's own mind about what counts as credible evidence. And, in the end, everyone must take a position. You simply can't engage in or use research and evaluation without deciding what counts as credible evidence. So read this book carefully, take a position, and enter the fray." --Michael Quinn Patton, Author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation, 4e "I found this text to be very interesting and useful in capturing and presenting varying perspectives in the field. There are some very good points and considerations for students and practitioners in this book." --Michael Schooley, Centers for Disease Control "Donaldson and colleagues have assembled an insightful and timely collection of papers on the complex issues regarding what constitutes credible evidence in evaluation. This important book offers readers the latest thinking on generating actionable evidence for policy and program decision-making from a wide variety of philosophical perspectives. The book is an indispensable resource for evaluation scholars and practitioners on this longstanding and central debate in the evaluation field." --Robin Lin Miller, Michigan State University Placing into perspective the meaning of evidence for evaluation professionals and applied researchers, this text provides observations about the diversity and changing nature of credible evidence, Editors Stewart I. Donaldson, Christina A. Christie, and Melvin M. Mark 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. Key Features Provides summaries of the strengths and weaknesses of the varied approaches to research and evaluation to give readers greater insight and guidance on how to select the appropriate methods for their work Offers diverse definitions of "evidence" so that readers can evaluate the landscape of this highly debated research issue Devotes a full chapter to the implications of evidence for contemporary applied research and evaluation practice This book is appropriate for a wide range of courses, including Introduction to Evaluation Research, Research Methods, Evaluation Practice, Program valuation, Program Development and Evaluation, and evaluation coursesin Social Work, Education, Public Health, and Public Policy.

This book offers an accessible introduction to the topic of impact evaluation and its practice in development. While the book is geared principally towards development practitioners and policymakers designing prospective impact evaluations, we trust that it will be a valuable resource for students and others interested in using impact evaluation. Prospective impact evaluations should be used selectively to assess whether or not a program has achieved its intended results, or to test alternatives for achieving those results. We consider that more and better impact evaluation will help strengthen the evidence base for development policies and programs around the world. If governments and development practitioners can make policy decisions based on evidence - including evidence generated through impact evaluation - our hope is that development resources will be spent more effectively, and ultimately have a greater impact on reducing poverty and improving people's lives. The three chapters in this handbook provide a non-technical introduction to impact evaluations, including "Why Evaluate" in Chapter 1, "How to Evaluate" in Chapter 2 and "How to Implement Impact Evaluations" in Chapter 3. These elements are the basic 'tools' needed in order to successfully carry out an impact evaluation. From a methodological standpoint our approach to impact evaluation is largely pragmatic: we think that the most appropriate methods should be identified to fit the operational context, and not the other way around. This is best achieved at the outset of the program, through the design of prospective impact evaluation that can be built into the project's implementation. We argue that gaining consensus between key stakeholders and identifying an evaluation design that fits the political and operational context is as important as the method itself. We also believe strongly that impact evaluations should be upfront about their limitations and caveats. Finally, we strongly encourage policymakers and program managers to consider impact evaluations in a logical framework that clearly sets out the causal pathways by which the program works to produce outputs and influence final outcomes, and to combine impact evaluations with monitoring and selected complementary evaluation approach to gain a full picture of performance.This book builds on a core set of teaching materials developed for the "Turning Promises to Evidence" workshops organized by the office of the Chief Economist for Human Development (HDNCE) in partnership with regional units and the Development Economics Research Group (DECRG) at the World Bank.

In this second edition of Counterfactuals and Causal Inference, completely revised and expanded, the essential features of the counterfactual approach to observational data analysis are presented with examples from the social, demographic, and health sciences. Alternative estimation techniques are first introduced using both the potential outcome model and causal graphs; after which, conditioning techniques, such as matching and regression, are presented from a potential outcomes perspective. For research scenarios in which important determinants of causal exposure are unobserved, alternative techniques, such as instrumental variable estimators, longitudinal methods, and estimation via causal mechanisms, are then presented. The importance of causal effect heterogeneity is stressed throughout the book, and the need for deep causal explanation via mechanisms is discussed.

The core methods in today's econometric toolkit are linear regression for statistical control, instrumental variables methods for the analysis of natural experiments, and differences-in-differences methods that exploit policy changes. In the modern experimentalist paradigm, these techniques address clear causal questions such as: Do smaller classes increase learning? Should wife batterers be arrested? How much does education raise wages? Mostly Harmless Econometrics shows how the basic tools of applied econometrics allow the data to speak. In addition to econometric essentials, Mostly Harmless Econometrics covers important new extensions--regression-discontinuity designs and quantile regression--as well as how to get standard errors right. Joshua Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke explain why fancier econometric techniques are typically unnecessary and even dangerous. The applied econometric methods emphasized in this book are easy to use and relevant for many areas of contemporary social science. An irreverent review of econometric essentials A focus on tools that applied researchers use most Chapters on regression-discontinuity designs, quantile regression, and standard errors Many empirical examples A clear and concise resource with wide applications

From an expert team in the research methods field, RESEARCH METHODS: THE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE BASE, 2nd Edition, is written specifically for users who are new to research methods. The book streamlines and clarifies explanations of fundamental, yet difficult, concepts in a familiar, engaging style. Readers learn about the relationship between theory and practice, which helps them become better researchers and better consumers of research.

The Second Edition of The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods provides students and researchers with the most comprehensive resource covering core methods, research designs, and data collection, management, and analysis issues. This thoroughly revised edition continues to place critical emphasis on finding the tools that best fit the research question given the constraints of deadlines, budget, and available staff. Each chapter offers guidance on how to make intelligent and conscious tradeoffs so that one can refine and hone the research question as new knowledge is gained, unanticipated obstacles are encountered, or contextual shifts take place. Each chapter has been enhanced pedagogically to include more step-by-step procedures, more practical examples from various settings to illustrate the method, parameters to define when the method is most appropriate and when it is not appropriate. The editors also include numerous graphs, models, tip boxes to provide teaching and learning tools. Key Features of the Second Edition Emphasizes applying research techniques, particularly in "real-world" settings in which there are various data, money, time, and political constraints Contains new chapters on mixed methods, qualitative comparative analysis, concept mapping, and internet data collection Offers a newly developed section that serves as a guide for students who are attempting to translate the content in the chapters into action Intended Audience This Handbook is appropriate for introductory and intermediate research methods courses that focus intently on practical applications and a survey of the many methods available to budding researchers.

This long awaited successor of the original Cook/Campbell Quasi-Experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues for Field Settings represents updates in the field over the last two decades. The book covers four major topics in field experimentation:

The eagerly anticipated Fourth Edition of the title that pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design is here! For all three approaches, Creswell includes a preliminary consideration of philosophical assumptions, a review of the literature, an assessment of the use of theory in research approaches, and refl ections about the importance of writing and ethics in scholarly inquiry. He also presents the key elements of the research process, giving specifi c attention to each approach. The Fourth Edition includes extensively revised mixed methods coverage, increased coverage of ethical issues in research, and an expanded emphasis on worldview perspectives.

"This is an excellent addition to the literature of integrated methodology. The author has skillfully integrated diverse ways of thinking about mixed methods into a comprehensive and meaningful framework. By providing detailed examples, she makes it easy for both the students and the practitioners to understand the intricate details and complexities of doing mixed methods research. On the other hand, by comparing, contrasting, and bridging multiple perspectives about mixed methods, she has made this book very relevant and useful to seasoned scholars of mixed methodology."--Abbas Tashakkori, Frost Professor and coordinator, educational research and evaluation methodology, Department of Educational and Psychological Studies, Florida International University, founding coeditor, Journal of Mixed Methods Research

The Second Edition of this bestselling text offers students and first-time researchers invaluable guidance to the practice of qualitative social research. Throughout the author addresses the key issues which need to be identified and resolved in the qualitative research process, and through which researchers develop essential skills in qualitative research. The book highlights the`difficult questions' that researchers should get into the habit of asking themselves in the course of doing qualitative research, and outlines the implications of the different ways of responding to these questions. Qualitative Researching bridges the gap between `cook-book' approaches to qualitative research and abstract methodological approaches. Helping the reader to move comfortably between principle and practice, this text has proved to be an invaluable introduction to qualitative research, and a useful aid to accomplished qualitative research practice across the social sciences.

The book that has been a resource and training tool for countless applied researchers, evaluators, and graduate students has been completely revised with hundreds of new examples and stories illuminating all aspects of qualitative inquiry. Patton has created the most comprehensive, systematic and up-to-date review of qualitative methods available. Patton has retained and expanded upon the Exhibits that highlight and summarize major issues and guidelines, the summative sections, tables, and figures as well as the sage advice of the Sufi Master, Halcolm. This revision will help readers integrate and make sense of the great volume of qualitative works published in the past decade. 

<b>Integrate qualitative inquiry approaches and methods into the practice of evaluation</b> <p>Qualitative inquiry can have a major effect on evaluation practice, and provides evaluators a means to explore and examine various settings and contexts in need of rich description and deeper understanding. <i>Qualitative Inquiry in Evaluation: From Theory to Practice</i> explores the most important considerations for both students and evaluation professionals. Using various evaluation theories and approaches as a springboard for real-world practice, this reference serves as an accessible text for beginning students and seasoned professionals alike. Readers are given an in-depth view of the key qualities and benefits of qualitative inquiry, which also serves as a crucial counterpart to quantitative analysis.</p> <p>Chapters in part one focus on the foundations, core concepts, and intersection of evaluation theory and qualitative inquiry.</p> <p>Part two contains contributions from leading evaluators whose design, implementation, and reporting strategies for qualitative inquiry are centered on common, real-world settings. These case-based chapters point to the strengths and challenges of implementing qualitative evaluations. Key competencies for conducting effective qualitative evaluations are also discussed.</p> <ul> <li>Explores the role of qualitative inquiry in many prominent approaches to evaluation</li> <li>Discusses the method′s history and delves into key concepts in qualitative inquiry and evaluation</li> <li>Helps readers understand which qualities are necessary to be an effective qualitative evaluator</li> <li>Presents the viewpoints and experiences of expert editors and contributing authors with high levels of understanding on the topic</li> </ul> <p><i>Qualitative Inquiry in Evaluation: From Theory to Practice</i> is a vital tool for evaluators and students alike who are looking to deepen their understanding of the theoretical perspectives and practice considerations of qualitative evaluation.</p>

A guide to statistical techniques: using the book
Review of univariate and bivariate statistics
Cleaning up your act: screening data prior to analysis
Multiple regression
Canonical correlation
Multiway frequency analysis
Analysis of covariance
Multivariate analysis of variance and covariance
Profile analysis: the multivariate approach to repeated measures
Discriminant function analysis
Logistic regression
Principal components and factor analysis
Structural equation modeling
Survival/failure analysis
Time-series analysis
An overview of the general linear model

In recent years, a commitment to increased accountability andimproved performance has become essential in both governmentalagencies and nonprofit organizations. To help managers andexecutives in their ongoing quest for greater accountability andimproved performance Theodore H. Poister, offers a comprehensiveresource for designing and implementing effective performancemeasurement systems at the agency level. The ideas, tools, andprocesses in this vital resource will help organizations developmeasurement systems to support such results-oriented managementapproaches as strategic management, results-based budgeting,performance management, process improvement, performancecontracting, and employee incentive systems. Using this book as aguide, public and nonprofit organizations can accurately measureoutputs, efficiency, productivity, effectiveness, service quality,and customer satisfaction, and use the resulting data to strengthendecision-making and improve agency and program performance. Read a Charity Channel review: http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=36&z=25

Building Evaluation Capacity provides 72 activities for learning how to design and conduct evaluation studies. These activities address the entire evaluation process. Each activity includes an overview, instructional objectives, time estimates, materials needed, handouts, and procedures for effectively using the activity, whether there are a few participants or an unlimited number in small groups. To help the reader locate specific kinds of activities, the book includes a chart that names the activity, the time needed to implement the activity, and whether background information or knowledge is required prior to implementing the activity. The book also includes several strategies for forming groups and a glossary of instructional strategies.