The construct "multicultural validity" is proposed as the vehicle for organizing concerns about pluralism and diversity in evaluation and as a way to reflect on the cultural boundness of evaluation. It should be conceptualized as a central dimension of validity and a viable focus of concern in evaluation theory. (SLD)

Propositions about what works in program evaluation are presented: (1) evaluators should be involved from the beginning; (2) evaluation should be based on explicit programmatic theory; (3) quasi-experimental designs must have high internal validity; and (4) evaluators must combat the deterioration of experimental control that occurs in…

Evaluation research is discussed as an applied social science that uses quantitative-comparative techniques to assess the effects of planned intervention. Focus is on the generally insufficient validity of treatment effectiveness research, and the relationship between research constructs and theory and their operationalization. (TJH)

Unless more resources are devoted to the development of social programs, summative evaluation will increasingly become a waste of time. Formative evaluation and tactical research will become more important to the extent that they actively assist in creation of social programs, increasing challenges to the integrity and validity of their work. (SLD)

The application of a newly developed instrument for the assessment of patient function in rehabilitation is discussed. The 18-item Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used to rate 187 patients requiring inpatient rehabilitation. Practical uses of the FIM are discussed in view of its satisfactory reliability and validity. (SLD)

A case study illustrates the ways in which local reactions to a program evaluation directly threaten its validity, and shows that not all participants in a qualitative evaluation study understand or defer to the commitments of democratic evaluation. Ethical concerns in program evaluation are considered. (SLD)