The variety of evaluation activities reflects the particular organizational and management concepts of the Department's components, their individual needs for information to be gained from evaluation, and the necessity to integrate their evaluation activities with their research, planning, and programmatic efforts. (Author/RL)

The author, in her review of Frank Caro's article, "Leverage and Evaluation Effectiveness," finds several suggestions which may harm evaluation more than help it, and which are unlikely to be implemented. (Author/GK)

Strategies for increasing evaluation research leverage are reviewed. Alignment of evaluation research with regulatory bodies with authority to suspend public program expenditures is advocated. Several likely obstacles in the development of the regulatory evaluation model are anticipated and addressed. (Author/RL)

Program evaluation must be practiced by all members of all trades, disciplines, professions, or any other group of people whose efforts are aimed at making a difference. There is a role for "content free" evaluation methodology resources, but not for a professional "content free" evaluator. (RL)

Literature on the generalizability of program effects focuses on the a priori development of evaluation designs which enable certain generalizations to be made. Secondary analysis procedures which can be employed using existing evaluation data to estimate a program's generalizability when follow-up field studies are not feasible are suggested.…

A contingency model of evaluation competencies is presented concerning the types and levels of professional competency an evaluator should have. Four broad categories of competency (policy analysis, administrative, interpersonal/personal, and technical) are identified along with three different levels of criteria of acceptable performance.…

Studies designed to assess the efficacy of interventions with organically impaired infants in terms of how well the experimental designs used controlled for threats to interval validity were analyzed. The use of methodologically more rigorous designs in evaluation studies is recommended to prevent or ameliorate the adverse effects of…

Responsible scientists/evaluators must be assertive contract negotiators who understand and respect the legitimate needs and obligations of all pertinent parties to the contract. Evaluators should not work under conditions that prevent them from providing an appropriately comprehensive and critical evaluation, nor that prevent useful secondary…

In his review of Frank Caro's article, "Leverage and Evaluation Effectiveness," the author challenges Caro's assertion that evaluations are weaker than they could be because evaluators are in weak organizational positions to demand methodological rigor or full program cooperation. Caro's model aligning evaluation with regulation is…

Two examples from the law enforcement field are presented in support of Ginsberg's (TM 508 964) view that social dysfunctionality follows from the attempt to distribute scarce resources in a manner that appears politically legitimate. (BW)

The basic functions and procedures of management consulting are contrasted with formal program evaluation. A case example illustrates the differing approaches used in programmatic problem solving. The similarities and differences between these specializations are highlighted to understand their unique but complementary contributions to the…

The case study is defined as a detailed description of an evaluation or planning process in its real life context, i.e., a story in context. This article describes the advantages and attributes of case studies and proposes writing guidelines for submissions to this journal. (Author/BW)

It is argued that the information needs of stakeholders should be incorporated directly into the formulation of evaluation objectives, and the design of the evaluation. The paper presents a rationale for the stakeholder survey, describes its major components, and reports on the application of the approach in a large program evaluation. (Author/BW)

A study of journal citations was used to identify which of the writings published before passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 have continued to influence evaluation thought in education throughout the 1970s. Five classic articles were identified, and reasons for their continued influence are suggested. (Author/BW)

It is argued that outcome evaluation should include efforts to identify and measure unintended outcomes. A systems perspective is presented which treats governmental actions as disequilibrating intrusions into reacting systems. Both intended and unintended outcomes of such intrusions can be valued monetarily, in terms of human rights, or both.…