The chapter explores critical roles of internal evaluators in contemporary organizational settings. The need is highlighted for an expanded, reconfigured, unorthodox set of roles and styles of work to meet the needs of the emerging learning organizations effectively. A discussion of major categories of internal evaluator roles emerged from the…

Local assessment systems are being marketed as formative, benchmark, predictive, and a host of other terms. Many so-called formative assessments are not at all similar to the types of assessments and strategies studied by Black and Wiliam (1998) but instead are interim assessments. In this article, we clarify the definition and uses of interim…

This practical guide to outcomes-based assessment in student affairs is designed to help readers meet the growing demand for accountability and for demonstrating student learning. The authors offer a framework for implementing the assessment of student learning and development and pragmatic advice on the strategies most appropriate for the…

Use and misuse of evaluation results are discussed. Variations in evaluation definitions, entity used, nature of the user, time and place of evaluation use, personal factor, basic premises of utilization-focused evaluation, misutilization, and method and rationales for use are discussed. A case example with a federal program is outlined. (TJH)

Developmental evaluation is proposed as a term to describe certain long-term partnering relationships with clients who are, themselves, engaged in ongoing program development. Rather than a model, developmental evaluation is a relationship founded on a shared purpose and is a way of being useful in innovative settings. (SLD)

Fostering self-determination is the defining focus of empowerment evaluation, but this type of evaluation overlaps participatory, collaborative, stakeholder-involving, and utilization-focused approaches to evaluation. It becomes critical to distinguish empowerment evaluation from other approaches as the field debates its boundaries and…

Utilization should be defined according to the evaluation approach used and the purposes established for it. By developing a matrix that includes the dimensions of utilization and the various evaluation approaches, it is possible to plan and conduct evaluations that increase the likelihood of the desired type of utilization. (Author/LC)

Current conceptualizations of participatory evaluation are reviewed, presenting some definitions, various rationales for its use, and a general discussion with implications for future applications. Participatory evaluation creates a learning framework in which evaluation findings are processed and accumulated by end-users in the very process of…

A good formative evaluator, who helps programs become as effective as possible, behaves remarkably like a good personal coach. Nine ways in which a formative evaluator can help a program manager are listed, and implications for practicing evaluators and the evaluation profession are detailed. (SLD)

This document contains four papers from a symposium on cost analysis, evaluation, and feedback in human resource development. "Training Evaluation with 360-Degree Feedback" (Froukje A. Jellema) reports on a quasi-experimental study that examined the effectiveness of 360-degree feedback in evaluating the training received by nurses in a…

This guide, which is intended for volunteer literacy programs in Alberta, Canada, details a four-step process for evaluating volunteer literacy programs and using evaluation results for program development. The guide begins with an introduction, underlying principles and assumptions, and a glossary. Sections 1-4 detail the steps of the process,…

This document examines screening and assessment for physical and mental health conditions that impact Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients' ability to work. The document begins by defining screening and assessment and discussing their relevance for agencies serving TANF recipients. The next section answers policy questions…

This document is a practical guide that demonstrates how human resource (HR) professionals can use performance measurement to link HR to organizational strategy and business objectives, and thereby raise the profile of HR within their organization. The following are among the topics examined: (1) the strategic context of measurement (the role…

This book presents systematic guidelines and practical tools to assist adult and continuing education program coordinators in planning and conducting successful program evaluations. Chapters 1-3 explain how to accomplish the following tasks: (1) assess their existing experience and familiarity with evaluation concepts and procedures; (2) identify…

This manual, which is intended for practitioners involved in the Asia and the Pacific Programme of Education for All, explains the basic concepts and procedures involved in monitoring and evaluating literacy and continuing education programs. The following are among the topics discussed in the manual's eight chapters: (1) understanding monitoring…