Evaluation capacity building, or ECB, is an area of great interest within the field of evaluation as well as in Extension evaluation. Internal Extension evaluators have long offered training and technical assistance to help Extension educators conduct evaluation. Today ECB in Extension encompasses myriad activities and processes to advance…

Describes programmatic model of faculty development that can provide framework for faculty development activities and programs. Suggests that building an organizing structure around specific activities can help identify steps to be taken and move departments toward building type of faculty sought, including developing supporting and nurturing…

Discusses Donald J. Kirkpatrick's Level 4 evaluation model and how and whether to measure the value of training today. Suggests that a balanced view is needed to measure hard- and soft-skill performance gauges, tangible and intangible benefits, and long- and short-term results. (JOW)

Both the organizational studies literature and the community psychology literature discuss the importance of readiness when implementing change. Although each area emphasizes different characteristics, several common themes are present within the literature. The current study integrates and applies organizational and community psychology…

This article discusses the role of the auditor and describes a seven-stage training audit model currently being employed by a multinational United Kingdom bank. Stages include familiarization, auditing the client, auditing the program, auditing the program organizer, auditing the consumer, presenting the report, and tasking action agencies. (CT)

When assessing a staff development program, several factors must be considered, including improvement in student outcomes, content and quality of the staff development program, and organizational climate and culture. Specific suggestions for evaluating program influences on participants, students, and the organization are offered. A multifaceted…

Rational college planning approaches presuppose certain organizational characteristics such as a predictable environment, stable programs, and some consensus on priorities. Institutions with these characteristics will use rational planning models more easily. The experiences of two different universities using a common, rational model are…

In order to better understand the influence of the organizational setting on evaluation, this conceptual framework was developed and tried out in a meta evaluation of innovatory educational programs in Holland. Four components are explained--contigency factors, organization structure, policy-making, and evaluation research--and a checklist is…

Human performance technology (HPT) models are compared. One model groups performance factors by their relation to the performer (internal or external). A second model categorizes factors by which organizational level has the most control over them (executive, managerial, or individual). A third model considers rational and emotional intelligences;…

A process for evaluating the effectiveness of educational organizations, with a focus on accountability, is described. An evaluation of 15 pilot-test school districts in the Arizona Career Ladder Project reveals the existence of a major discrepancy between meeting program requirements and achieving program success. A theoretical model of…

A number of organizational, personal and methodological characteristics have been identified through the literature which inhibit or can be used to facilitate the use of evaluation and testing information. Inhibitors of information usage include organizational characteristics such as loosely coupled and decentralized systems, personal…

Recent experiences of manufacturing and commercial service industries provide insights to college facilities managers for combining downsizing with quality improvement. The Service Excellence Model emphasizes creation of shared responsibility, focus on core service processes, empowerment of cross-functional process-improvement teams, performance…

This report presents the results of a qualitative research study at three small independent colleges/universities on how literature-based strategic planning models compare with actual practices. Four critical aspects of strategic planning were identified: first, dealing with the future; second, understanding the organization's external…

The impact on an organization's capacity to respond inevitably to changing needs of the many variables affecting the organization is considered, along with a framework for developing innovations, especially in a time when colleges are facing a period of contraction. A contingency approach to the management of innovation focuses on the influence of…