basic principles of program evaluation corinne datchi-phillips, ph.d. cebp learning institute may 26...
TRANSCRIPT
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
Corinne Datchi-Phillips, Ph.D.CEBP Learning Institute
May 26th, 2010
Breakout Session Objectives1. Participants will increase their understanding of
the purpose and goals of program evaluation.2. Participants will be able to identify what questions
they may ask to improve their correctional programming.
3. Participants will become knowledgeable about the goals of different types of program evaluation.
4. Participants will learn about existing resources they may use to guide the evaluation of their services.
5. Participants will be introduced to the recommendations of the CEBP regarding data collection in program evaluation.
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
The goal and purposeof program evaluation
Program Evaluation• Purpose– To provide administrators with
information about program activities and outcomes
– To contribute to the delivery of quality service to people in need
Program Evaluation• Goals:– Improve correctional treatment and
supervision programs (enhance effectiveness and quality of service);
– Inform program-level decisions; – Help public officials meet the
obligation of using resources effectively by identifying and providing cost-effective programs.
Program Evaluation• Goals– To inform decisions by identifying• The need for specific services• The likelihood that these services will be
utilized• What amount of service is necessary to
meet the needs that have been identified
Program Evaluation• Goals– To inform decisions about the selection and
implementation of correctional treatment and supervision programs • Whether to continue offering a program if it is
successful• Whether to discontinue a program because it
fails to meet a need in the community• How to alter a program to make it more useful
to participants (Continuous quality improvement)– What are the limitations of the program? How can
these limitations be addressed?
Program Evaluation• Important questions about program
implementation:– Is a program implemented as planned?
• Deviations from the original plan of a program may have harmful effects or may result in no or minimal benefit.
–What are the outcomes of a program?• Reduction of criminogenic needs• Increased public safety (reduction of
recidivism rates)
Program Evaluation• Important question about
resource utilization:–What programs produce the most
favorable outcomes?• When programs are equally effective
with this type of client with this type of problem in this type of setting, the least expensive program may be selected.
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
Common types of program evaluation
Program Evaluation• Different types
1. Need Evaluation2. Implementation Evaluation3. Outcome Evaluation4. Cost-effectiveness Analysis
Need Evaluation• Basic first step that precedes
program planning and implementation
• Goal– To identify and measure critical
unmet needs within a community• Nature and magnitude of social,
psychological, and behavioral problems• Community-based resources and
services already available to address the problems
Implementation Evaluation
• After a program has been developed and begun–What parts of the program have
been implemented or not–What are barriers to implementation–Who is being served by the program–Match between program
implementation and program plan
Outcome Evaluation• After satisfactory assessment of
program implementation– Different levels of complexity:
• Are program participants performing or functioning better ?
• Are program participants performing or functioning better than those not receiving the services?
• Does the program cause a positive change in the performance or functioning of the participants? (Causal relationships are more difficult to establish)
Cost-effectiveness Analysis
• After it has been established that a program has been implemented effectively with good outcomes– Cost-effectiveness analysis answers the
question of efficiency.• A successful program that requires a large
amount of resources may not be a viable option.• Among the programs that have a similar positive
impact on a specific social and behavioral problem, which ones cost less?– Only compare programs that are designed to achieve
the same outcomes with the same group of clients
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
Resources
Resources• Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation’s Guide to Evaluation Primers– http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id
=18657
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Evaluation Handbook– http://www.wkkf.org/knowledge-cent
er/resources/2010/W-K-Kellogg-Foundation-Evaluation-Handbook.aspx
Resources• The Evaluation Exchange
periodical, Harvard University– http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-e
valuation-exchange/overview
• Center for Disease Control’s Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health– http://www.cdc.gov/eval/framework.
htm
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
Integrating program evaluation with routine practices:
The importance of ongoing data collection
Integrating evaluation into routine practices
• Program evaluation as a part of program management– Requires the consistent, ongoing collection and
analysis of information that will inform program decision making• Detailed description of the program (target population;
problem to be addressed; goals and objectives; program activities; mechanisms of change)
• After determining which questions you would like to answer about a specified program, identify what information you will need to answer these questions
• Develop a plan for collecting the information– Collect the information from multiple sources and
perspectives (clients, staff, documents, observations)
Data Gathering• CEBP recommendations (2009)– Basic data elements necessary to
perform program outcome evaluations• A survey of current community
corrections practices in the IDOC, recommendations p. 57, Appendix B p. 71 http://education.indiana.edu/Default.aspx?alias=education.indiana.edu/cebp-ri
Data Gathering• CEBP recommendations (2009)– Basic data elements that will help
answer the question “what works?” (effects of community corrections programs)• With whom?
– Type and severity of problems– Human differences (age, sex, etc.)– Cultural differences
• Under what conditions?– Treatment dosage– Combination of services/programs
Data Gathering• CEBP recommendations (2009)– Specification of community corrections
programming• Target population; problem to be addressed;
goals and objectives; program activities; mechanisms of change
– Effectiveness of community corrections programming• Program completion rates (criteria)• Measures of behavioral change (improvement
in performance and functioning)• Recidivism rates
Basic Principles of Program Evaluation
Conclusions & Questions
Program Evaluation• Essential to evaluate correctional
practices– To identify practices that are useful,
effective, and feasible under particular conditions
– To improve programming that address the needs of community corrections clients and communities
– To support accountability in community corrections• Using scientific methods and knowledge to inform
decisions and actions
Program Evaluation• Common concerns about program evaluation
– Belief that the evaluation will limit providers’ capacity to be flexible in their implementation of programs• Flexibility within broad structure of the program
– Belief that negative evaluation will result in termination of a program• Will more likely inform refinement of the program
– Belief that information will be misused (e.g., threat to promotion of staff)• Program evaluation is distinct from individual staff
assessment
Program Evaluation• Common concerns about program
evaluation– Belief that staff’s experiential knowledge will
not be taken into consideration• Staff’s observations constitute data that can
inform questions about program implementation.
– Belief that staff and administrators will no longer be able to make decisions about the way the program is offered• Program evaluation provides information that staff
and administrators can use to make changes in the way the program is offered to improve delivery.
Program Evaluation
Questions & Comments