The use of evaluations for policy and program development and change is critically reviewed. Existing conceptions of utilization are discussed and improvements in the methods of detecting use are suggested. Five clusters of variables affecting utilization are described and hypotheses about the reasons for their effects are outlined. (Author/AL)

Various disparate activities have been defined as outreach, which is an element of social service/disease prevention programs. The history of outreach as a project element within federal social programs, central sources of variations in this element, measures of effectiveness and cost effectiveness, and recurring implementation issues are…

Federal evaluations in education contributed in numerous and important ways to changes in law, regulation, and management. Information about implementation contributed most often, but information about outcomes, cost, and federal administration also made contributions. These findings differ from previous research that concluded evaluations do not…

This study examined 38 textbooks, published between 1977 and 1981 in the fields of social work and education. Evaluations were frequently cited. Compared to social work texts, education texts cited significantly more program outcome findings; social work texts tended to cite more references dealing with recipient characteristics. (Author/PN)

A computerized mechanism for client tracking linked to a management information system (MIS) is presented. The MIS can thus serve several evaluation functions. Features of the MIS are illustrated through a previous study of a project for pregnant and postpartum chemically dependent women. (SLD)