The relevance of the stakeholder approach to evaluations of development assistance programs is examined. Ways in which the methodology can be useful in fostering interest in evaluation outcomes and in increasing the probability that evaluative recommendations will be implemented are discussed. (SLD)

Reorganization of data from a 1986 study of home care client placement for the elderly (N=18) allowed for user-specific reports to a variety of interested groups in the affected community. The techniques used to adapt and present the data are outlined. A short bibliography is appended. (TJH)

A framework is presented to identify programs with the highest potential for payoffs to management resulting from evaluation. Several program initiatives may be evaluated in organizations. Criteria for assessing needs and standards for prioritizing programs are presented. Evaluators must analyze alternatives and determine which one successfully…

The literature on evaluation of employee involvement (EI) programs is reviewed, and five evaluation models and other procedures to increase EI usefulness to organizations are discussed. Better designed studies should include some form of preevaluation and postevaluation measures and should use more than one evaluation model. (SLD)

Anecdotal evidence from interviews with some program managers gives evidence that unintended negative consequences of evaluations are more than a theoretical concern; they are a real problem deserving an evaluator's attention and energy. Negative consequences usually include: (1) wasted resources; (2) demotivation; and (3) program destruction and…

Twelve specific suggestions for evaluators concerning development, presentation, and followup of improved evaluation recommendations are discussed. Offering effective recommendations requires special skills that need to be recognized, studied carefully, and passed along to practitioners and students. (TJH)

Using a needs assessment conducted for the Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia as a test case, this article analyzes the conditions facilitating the collection of information needed for strategic planning in a voluntary organization and the related conditions influencing whether or not the information would in fact be used. (TJH)

Physician impact analysis (PIA) is a planning tool intended to provide a way to evaluate the impact of a new or replacement physician's practice profile on the clinical program priorities, staffing resources, and costs of a hospital. Key methods for PIA and issues related to its use are considered. (SLD)

In spite of the scarcity of empirical studies of evaluation, such studies are critical to development of evaluation theory. Illustrative examples are given of studies of evaluation practice that operationalize theory. Although practitioners should continue public reflection, they must also focus on the independent and empirical study of…

A set of criteria is proposed by which development projects can be selected for purposes of ex post assessment to determine their effects and outcomes. Arguments are advanced as to the importance of these criteria, and observations are made about their current use by international aid agencies. (SLD)

A second-order factor analytic model of conceptual, instrumental, and symbolic use of evaluation information was developed and tested with 308 British Columbia school teachers. Results confirm a three-factor structure of conceptual, instrumental, and symbolic use. (SLD)

Health education, health promotion, and prevention are defined. The use of planning models in health education, meta-analysis, the quality of the intervention as a determinant of effectiveness, and the relevance of systematic implementation to the target population are discussed. Recommendations to increase the effectiveness of interventions are…

Presents a framework to describe typical constraints that program evaluators face. The framework encompasses the usual evaluation costs and other factors that impede data collection or the implementation of strong evaluation designs. These are characterized as internal/substantive or external/political. (SLD)

Discusses findings from one area of higher education review by the United Kingdom's Quality Assurance Agency and identifies reasons institutions lose marks in quality management and enhancement. Examines another area of weakness, incorporating student views, and its role in quality assurance (the University of Ulster serves as an example). Also…

In promoting and operating experiential education programs, educators must ask: Who is accountable to whom? How can accountability be measured? and How can accountability information be used? The perspectives of internal and external stakeholders must inform program assessment. (SK)