When and how to survey potential respondents is often determined by budgetary and external constraints, but choice of survey modality may have enormous implications for data quality. Different survey modalities may be differentially susceptible to measurement error attributable to interviewer assignment, known as interviewer effects. In this…

Many inquiries regarding the causal effects of policies or programs are based on research designs where the treatment assignment process is unknown, and thus valid inferences depend on tenuous assumptions about the assignment mechanism. This article draws attention to the importance of understanding the assignment mechanism in policy and program…

This study reports the results of the process evaluation component of the Process and Outcome Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. The process evaluation consisted of multiple methods to assess program fidelity: (a) observations of G.R.E.A.T. Officer Trainings (G.O.T); (b) surveys and interviews of…

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of a pilot study that promoted productive and capacity-building activities among deprived rural women of Mexico. The evaluation design is observational; 1,278 women are interviewed, and the comparison group is estimated by propensity score matching. The results show a positive impact on the…

Though collaboration is often required in community initiatives, little evidence documents relationships between collaboration and program success. The authors contend that clarification of the construct collaboration is necessary for investigating its contribution to the success of community initiatives. After respecifying collaboration, they…

Employing a split-half design, this research examines the effects of prior letters, in conjunction with a follow-up telephone survey, on three factors affecting evaluation results: contact rates, response rates, and respondent cooperation. Prior letters did not increase contact, improve cooperation, or decrease refusals. (Author/LMO)

The concept of "preevaluative research" is examined in the context of a museum exhibition evaluation. It is viewed as distinct from an evaluability assessment. The exhibit preevaluative study indicates that instrumentation and implementation issues are likely to benefit from such activities, but that design and analysis may suffer.…

A mixed-method program evaluation, concurrently using both qualitative interview data and quantitative questionnaire data, was conducted. It illustrated significant design and analysis issues related to integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, specifically between-method and cross-paradigm triangulation. (Author/GDC)

Challenges of collecting and using photographic evidence and photo-interviewing to evaluate technology infusion programs in higher education are discussed. A five-phase study for using photo-interviewing is presented, using evaluation of a hypermedia workshop attended by 1 instructor, 1 graduate assistant, 26 graduate students, and 1 art…

This article presents a discussion of field utilization of staff development activities in the context of three separate training programs. Specifically, classroom implementation of knowledge and skills gained by participants in their training sessions was assessed via the Levels of Use (LoU) interview system. (Author/LMO)

Naturalistic and traditional social science models were used to conduct a needs assessment in which 35 stakeholders were interviewed about their perceptions of the functioning of a crisis agency and the needs of the community and the agency. Concept mapping (multidimensional scaling and hierarchical analysis) was used to establish need categories…

A naturalistic approach to evaluation is illustrated through the description of the evaluation of a small-scale agricultural project in a village in Mali, West Africa. The evaluation considered program impact as well as the quality of the conclusions drawn using the illuminative model of evaluation. (SLD)

A beverage-server intervention project at two West Coast Navy bases that attempted to reduce levels of alcoholic intoxication via policy changes and server training is described. Data obtained via interviews and structured observations of 1,511 club customers indicate methodological bias and self-selection effects. Bias adjustments were performed…

In this study the strategic constituent approach to organizational effectiveness was applied to a diagnostic program for handicapped children. Supervisors, clinicians, referring school professionals, and parents were interviewed, and resulting data was inductively categorized. A rating scale was designed and completed by internal constituents.…