Evaluation Practice: How to Do Good Evaluation Research in Work Settings

Professional accountability has become central to both public and private sectors. Governments have emphasized and even developed empirical models, logic modeling, and evidence-based practice in the programs they support, and not-for-profit, for-profit and NGO entities increasingly rely on systematic strategies such as strategic planning, marketing research, outcome measures, and benchmarking to identify needs and determine success.
Evaluation Practice bridges the apparent gap between practice and research to present a logical, systematic model to guide all professional thinking and action within the context of everyday professional life. Their framework embraces diverse theories, action, and sets of evidence from a range of professional and disciplinary perspectives.

Elizabeth DePoy is Professor of Policy and International Affairs and Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Maine.

Stephen Gilson is Professor of Policy and International Affairs and Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Maine.

Section 1: Beginnings 1. Introduction to Evaluation Practice: A Problem Solving Approach through Informed Thinking and Action 2. The Conceptual Framework of Evaluation Practice Section 2: Thinking Processes of Evaluation on Practice 3. Identifying Problems and Issues: Mapping and Analyzing your Territory 4. Obtaining and Organizing Information: How Do You Know? 5. Ascertaining Need: What is Needed to Resolve All or Part of the Problem or Issue 6. Examining Need with Previously Supported Approaches: Designing Deductive-Type Inquiry 7. Obtaining Information in Deductive-Type Needs Assessment 8. Ascertaining Need in Unexamined Contexts: Designing Inductive Inquiry 9. Goals and Objectives Section 3: Reflexive Action 10. Reflexive Action: What is it? 11. Thinking Processes of Reflexive Action 12. Action Processes of Reflexive Action Section 4: During and After Professional Effort: Did you Resolve your Problem, How do you Know, and How did you Share what you Know? 13. Thinking Processes in Outcomes Assessment 14. Action Processes of Outcome Research 15. Commencement: Sharing Evaluation Practice Knowledge and on to a New Problem Statement