Main description:

Thoroughly revised and updated, this engaging text has given thousands of students and new evaluators the practical information and expert advice needed to conduct or use evaluations. In 26 concise sections, the book describes how to articulate answerable evaluation questions, collect and analyze data using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and deal with contingencies that might alter the traditional sequence of an evaluation. Special strengths of the text are its attention to individual, organizational, and community culture and emphasis on building collaborative relationships with stakeholders. An in-depth case study and related end-of-section exercises (including group activities) help students put themselves in the evaluator role. Other pedagogical features include section titles written as questions, bulleted recaps of each section, "Thinking Ahead" and "Next Steps" pointers, cautionary notes, and suggestions for further reading.

New to This Edition
*New and expanded topics: evaluation contracts, budgeting, surveys, data visualization, qualitative coding and memoing, factors affecting evaluation use, and context-sensitive evaluation.
*Revised case study with extended exercises that guide the reader to complete a simulated evaluation.
*End-of-section "Quick Read" links to recommended American Evaluation Association blog posts.
*Four entirely new sections (such as "How Do You Strengthen Relationships with Stakeholders?" and "How Do We Plan a Process-Focused Evaluation Design?"), plus other changes and additions throughout.

Contents:

A. What Is Evaluation?
B. Why do Evaluations?
C. Who Does Evaluations?
D. Contracting for Evaluations
E. Who Are the Stakeholders for an Evaluation?
F. How Do You Strengthen Relationships with Stakeholders?
G. How Do You Describe the Program?
H. What Is the Organizational, Community, and Political Context of the Program?
I. How Do You "Understand" the Program?
J. What Are the Questions/Issues to be Addressed?
K. What Are Instruments for Collecting Quantitative Data?
L. What Are Instruments for Collecting Qualitative Data?
M. How Do Data Collection Issues Impact Potential Evaluability?
N. Are the Questions Evaluable?
O. How Do We Plan a Process-Focused Evaluation Design?
P. How Do We Plan an Outcome-Focused Evaluation?
Q. How Do We Manage the Evaluation?
R. How Are Quantitative Data Analyzed?
S. How Are Qualitative Data Analyzed?
T. How Are Analyzed Data Used to Answer Questions?
U. How Are Evaluation Results Reported?
V. What is the Evaluator's Role in Helping Evaluations to Be Used?
W. What Are the Evaluation Standards and Codes of Behavior?
X. How Are Costs Analyzed?
Y. What Is the "Theme" of This Book?
Z. How Can You Embark on a Program to Learn More about Evaluation?
Appendix A. Factors Affecting Evaluation Use
Appendix B. An Evaluation Lesson
Appendix C. Use Factors--Relationship to Research Compilations