Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation

THE LEADING PROGRAM EVALUATION REFERENCE, UPDATED WITH THE LATEST TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

"The fourth edition of The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation has raised the bar again. This new revised and expanded volume is a must read for evaluation practitioners and scholars alike. The transdiscipline practice of evaluation is evolving rapidly, and this volume is an excellent resource to keep you on the cutting edge."
Stewart I. Donaldson, President, American Evaluation Association and Dean & Professor, Claremont Graduate University

"Designs, methods, tools and uses of evaluation in U.S. government and nonprofit organizations are concretely presented with no jargon, and buzzwords. It should be a required reading for international students of evaluation as well, as it is readable and relevant for anyone interested in embarking on an evaluation journey."
Mita Marra, President of the Italian Evaluation Association

"The fourth edition of this indispensable guide for the evaluation research student and professional alike covers the field′s full range of core tasks while keeping the reader up to date on the latest techniques needed to address them."
Alan Werner, Principal Associate, Abt Associates

"This isn′t a Handbook it′s a search engine on a shelf. Anytime I need the current hinking on a practical evaluation topic, I just reach for this book, and very soon I′m up–to–date. A must–have book, in my opinion."
Michael Hendricks, Independent Evaluation Consultant

"The emphasis of this book is on ′practical.′ It doesn′t just cover the design issues common in many other texts, but also how to get action taken on the results of an evaluation. It doesn′t belong on a reference shelf, but on evaluators′ desks!"
John M. Kamensky, senior fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government

"I′ve been using the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation in my program evaluation course for years, and truly appreciate the editors′ efforts to keep it current and dynamic. My students are government managers for whom my course is an introduction to what program evaluation is and how it might be useful to them in managing and improving their program. Many students have told me how useful that is!"
Nancy Kingsbury, Adjunct Faculty, Key Executive Leadership Program, School of Public Affairs, American University.

Figures, Tables, and Exhibits ix

Preface xv

The Editors xxi

The Contributors xxv

PART ONE: EVALUATION PLANNING AND DESIGN 1

1. Planning and Designing Useful Evaluations 7
Kathryn E. Newcomer, Harry P. Hatry, Joseph S. Wholey

2. Analyzing and Engaging Stakeholders 36
John M. Bryson, Michael Quinn Patton

3. Using Logic Models 62
John A. McLaughlin, Gretchen B. Jordan

4. Exploratory Evaluation 88
Joseph S. Wholey

5. Performance Measurement 108
Theodore H. Poister

6. Comparison Group Designs 137
Gary T. Henry

7. Randomized Controlled Trials 158
Carole J. Torgerson, David J. Torgerson, Celia A. Taylor

8. Conducting Case Studies 177
Karin Martinson, Carolyn O Brien

9. Recruitment and Retention of Study Participants 197
Scott C. Cook, Shara Godiwalla, Keeshawna S. Brooks, Christopher V. Powers, Priya John

10. Designing, Managing, and Analyzing Multisite Evaluations 225
Debra J. Rog

11. Evaluating Community Change Programs 259
Brett Theodos, Joseph Firschein

12. Culturally Responsive Evaluation 281
Stafford Hood, Rodney K. Hopson, Karen E. Kirkhart

PART TWO: PRACTICAL DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES 319

13. Using Agency Records 325
Harry P. Hatry

14. Using Surveys 344
Kathryn E. Newcomer, Timothy Triplett

15. Role Playing 383
Claudia L. Aranda, Diane K. Levy, Sierra Stoney

16. Using Ratings by Trained Observers 412
Barbara J. Cohn Berman, Verna Vasquez

17. Collecting Data in the Field 445
Demetra Smith Nightingale, Shelli Balter Rossman

18. Using the Internet 474
William C. Adams

19. Conducting Semi–Structured Interviews 492
William C. Adams

20. Focus Group Interviewing 506
Richard A. Krueger, Mary Anne Casey

21. Using Stories in Evaluation 535
Richard A. Krueger

PART THREE: DATA ANALYSIS 557

22. Qualitative Data Analysis 561
Delwyn Goodrick, Patricia J. Rogers

23. Using Statistics in Evaluation 596
Kathryn E. Newcomer, Dylan Conger

24. Cost–Effectiveness and Cost–Benefit Analysis 636
Stephanie Riegg Cellini, James Edwin Kee

25. Meta–Analyses, Systematic Reviews, and Evaluation Syntheses 673
Robert Boruch, Anthony Petrosino, Claire Morgan

PART FOUR: USE OF EVALUATION 699

26. Pitfalls in Evaluations 701
Harry P. Hatry, Kathryn E. Newcomer

27. Providing Recommendations, Suggestions, and Options for Improvement 725
George F. Grob

28. Writing for Impact 739
George F. Grob

29. Contracting for Evaluation Products and Services 765
James B. Bell

30. Use of Evaluation in Government 798
Joseph S. Wholey

31. Evaluation Challenges, Issues, and Trends 816
Harry P. Hatry, Kathryn E. Newcomer, Joseph S. Wholey

Name Index 833

Subject Index 841

KATHRYN E. NEWCOMER is the Director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy Administration at the George Washington University.

HARRY P. HATRY is a Distinguished Fellow and director of the Public Management Program at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.

JOSEPH S. WHOLEY is a Professor Emeritus of the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California.