This article describes Wyoming's development and implementation of a multimethod approach to assessing quality of care for people with mental retardation in rural areas. The approach incorporates fiscal accountability, parental satisfaction, consumer satisfaction, national accreditation standards, and broad measures of personal and system change.…

This discussion of evaluations of mediation programs at seven sites and of shock incarceration and home arrest focuses on the similarities in the interpretations of alternative dispute-resolution programs to interpretations of alternatives to incarceration programs. The political construction of the two approaches, which are both designed to…

Discusses a four-level model of criteria for evaluating training: learner reactions, learning, job application, and observable business results. Looks at reasons why organizations avoid evaluating business results--they can be difficult, time consuming, intimidating, and used inappropriately. Offers guidelines for effective use of the model. (JOW)

The use of focus groups by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a tool of internal evaluation is described. Focus groups are used in an environment where credibility is key to achieving meaningful cooperation. Issues for consideration by other evaluators interested in the approach are summarized. (SLD)

The various arts and sciences that comprise the field of program evaluation are discussed. It is argued that emphasis on rigor and expressive content has left other aspects of evaluation unexplored. Educational evaluators need to consider what programs mean and how they contribute to understanding. (SLD)

Reviews alternatives to program evaluation. Suggested qualitative methods are interviews; participant observation; and journal analysis. Meaningful designs for evaluation are case studies; participatory and collaborative evaluation; and mixed methods. Uses for evaluation are utilization-focused evaluation; explicating and developing program…

The National Literacy Program in Namibia (NLPN) was launched in 1992 with the objective of achieving 80% national literacy among adults. Several evaluations, including an evaluation of system policy and performance, have been conducted. The methodology of these evaluations and the philosophy behind them are discussed. (SLD)

Outlines issues involved in evaluating community services and lists questions to be considered: Why evaluate? What are the benefits and costs? and What is being evaluated? Describes methods: surveys, case studies, performance indicators, action research, and holistic evaluation. (SK)

Two examples from the cluster evaluation of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Community Partnership for Health Professions Education illustrate why flexibility in evaluation design and activities is essential to collaborate with program directors and be responsive to program needs. (SLD)

Summarizes ongoing economic impact assessment activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for its Measurement and Standards Laboratory Program. Explores designing economic impact studies for integration into assessments of broader programmatic objectives. (SLD)

Describes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and reviews and assesses research on its impact. Recommends policy reforms and randomized experiments to evaluate the program and any changes made to it. Weaknesses in research to date make the real impacts of WIC unclear. (Contains 79 references.) (SLD)

Uses the evaluation of a family literacy program as the basis for an analysis of the benefits of collaborative evaluation. Identifies enhanced learning, efficient data collection and problem planning, deepened professional and personal relationships, and strengthened convictions as results of the collaboration. (SLD)

Chelimsky, former head of the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division of the General Accounting Office, suggested that advocacy by evaluators destroys their credibility. Evaluators should, this author argues, be advocates for democracy and the public interest, with the question being how explicitly and how defensibly. (SLD)

Looks at online delivery of soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, interpersonal competence, and leadership. Suggests that, although online courses can be made meaningful, interesting, and valuable, it may be more difficult to ensure that appropriate interaction takes place. (JOW)

Argues for the use of reflective program evaluation in the South African context as a dynamic agent of improved practice. Provides an overview of program evaluation and explores the reasons that make quantitative evaluation of limited value. Discusses the attempts that have been made to overcome the inadequacies of this kind of evaluation.…