Human Services Program Evaluation: 'How to Improve Your Accountability and Program Effectiveness'

The term "outcome evaluation" has become one of the most popular terms among human service providers and those whose job it is to evaluate the impact of human service programs. In the public sector alone, there are over a hundred instruments in use to evaluate the impact of state human service programs. Most states, many providers, and most accrediting bodies have taken on the challenge of developing better program evaluation because there is universal agreement that better evaluation systems are needed. This multiplicity of approaches may have been appropriate for the early stages of development, but eventually some standardization is necessary. This program evaluation discusses the following topics as a means to inform and guide sound policy and practice decision making: (1) Why Do You Need to Know about Program Evaluation?; (2) Getting Started; (3) Needs Assessments; (4) Client Outcomes and Costs in Human Services Organizations; (5) Financial Management in Human Services Organizations; (6) Special Programs in Program Evaluation; (7) Research Designs in Program Evaluation; (8) Implementation and Maintenance of Program Evaluation; and (9) Role of the Evaluator. [Individual chapters contain appendices and references.]