Evaluation of the Humanities Education, Research, and Language Development (HERALD) Project in the San Francisco Unified School District (California), which focused on teacher empowerment, shows the value of close collaboration between external evaluators and teachers as internal evaluators. Evaluator-teacher collaboration made evaluation more…

A discussion of current issues in evaluation, related to society's expectation that evaluation is based on scientific authority, is followed by an exploration of concepts of "validity" and "values." The role of the evaluator is increasingly involved in issues of ethics and social justice. (SLD)

The manner in which evaluation has been translated by a number of West European political cultures is explored. The importance of determining whether policy evaluation is being used as an instrument of improved integration of policies or as an agent for disintegration of policies is emphasized. (SLD)

Draws on interviews with 61 officials in 13 federal agencies to illustrate a framework showing many of the potential uses of evaluation in support of performance management. Suggests 10 actions as opportunities for agency administrators and evaluators to bridge the current gaps between potential and actual uses of evaluation. (Author/SLD)

Techniques developed in a federal agency to forge links between evaluators and decision makers using evaluation information are described. Focus is on engaging the decision maker in the identification of candidate programs, selection among candidates, program evaluation, reporting of evaluation results, and assessment of evaluation impact. (SLD)

Presents a framework to describe typical constraints that program evaluators face. The framework encompasses the usual evaluation costs and other factors that impede data collection or the implementation of strong evaluation designs. These are characterized as internal/substantive or external/political. (SLD)

The concept of evaluation readiness complements other evaluation planning approaches. Its basic products are the formal program definition and the data inventory framework. Ways to improve timeliness, appropriateness, and use of evaluation are also discussed. (Author/GDC)

Evaluators must use a flexible, open-minded approach oriented toward a holistic view of the implementation and operation of the program they are analyzing. The use of more than one methodology expands the potential findings and avoids the limitations of a unidimensional approach. (SLD)

This paper discusses social and organizational differences between client-focused, volunteer-staffed programs and comparable paid-personnel programs. Particular attention is given to the effects of these differences on three aspects of the evaluation process: initiation of the evaluation, need for process evaluation, and utilization of evaluation…

A comparative evaluation of two underground coal mines identified the reasons why one was the most productive and the other was the least productive mine operated by the company. The vested interests of contending groups provide a partial explanation. The problem-solving process evolving out of the evaluation is described. (SLD)

The seven articles of this special feature consider the role of evaluation in learning organizations. They draw on applications in business and industry, public schools, higher education, a community arts agency, and a foreign township to illustrate the importance of evaluation in the growth of learning organizations. (SLD)

This article describes the on-going evaluation of a pilot program characterized by: (1) cooperation between program managers and evaluators; (2) first-hand knowledge about the implementation of the pilot; and (3) a focus on summative and formative evaluations. Evaluators participated actively in the design of the pilot. (Author/SLD)

Twelve articles discuss the advantages of theory-driven evaluation for: (1) identifying crucial issues; (2) integrating program implementation into evaluation; (3) diagnosing problems in program studies; (4) diagnosing problems in program structures; and (5) enhancing evaluation utilization. Topics include optimizing validity in program and…

Challenges encountered in developing and maintaining an extensive evaluation program at Ohio State University are retrospectively reconstructed. The setting, the history of program development, and the nature of the program are described as a backdrop for discussion of six issues with implications for program development. (SLD)

Four key entities participating in foreign assistance projects are (1) donors; (2) technical advisors; (3) host country counterparts; and (4) beneficiaries. Resistance to collaborative evaluation that each may exhibit is discussed, along with ways evaluators can overcome resistance and enhance evaluation outcomes, credibility, and utilization.…