Session 4

Program Evaluation Plan Development

EPA/NCEI Guidelines for Evaluating an Environmental Program, Ch1; Boulmetis & Dutwin, Ch2,4;8; CDC Workbook, p. 12-37.

Topics:

• Evaluation purpose, content and subsequent application.
• Long and short term benefits of program evaluation.
• Factors contributing to evaluation success and failure.
• Uses of evaluation findings - impacts and outcomes.
• Opportunities arising from program evaluation.
• Grants, grantmanship and program evaluations.
• Relevant limitations and considerations flowing from program evaluation.
• Evaluator objectivity and other decision-making needs.
• Integrating findings.
• The importance of describing the program accurately.
• Developing a program description.
• Evaluation versus research.
• The virtue of sampling participants versus polling all participants.
• Quantitative versus qualitative evaluations.
• Sampling methods and approaches.

Glossary of Key Terms:

Homework:

1. Complete the even-numbered questions and excercises found at the end of Chapters 2, 4 & 8 of The ABC's of Evlauation.
2. In the CDC framework what is meant by a "shared understanding of the program" and why is this an important consideration?
3. Identify and describe the elements of a logic model.
4. Identify key planning, implementation and maintenance stage questions.
5. What is a QAPP?
6. When is the program evaluation design most appropriately conducted and why?
7. Distinguish between feasibility and functionallity.
8. Identify the factors that contribute to evaluation sucess and failure.

NOTE: Submit the questions with your answers in World format as attachments to Canvas email and submit this homework - complete with APA citations and references - to the instructor by no later than 5 pm on the last day of Session 4 (as designated on the course schedule page that is linked above).