Within his discussion of the various evaluation types, Huey T. Chen details a range of evaluation approaches suitable for use across a program's life cycle. At the core of program evaluation is its body of concepts, theories, and methods. This revised edition provides an overview of these, and includes expanded coverage of both introductory and more cutting-edge techniques within six new chapters. Illustrated throughout with real-world examples that bring the material to life, the Second Edition provides many new tools to enrich the evaluator's toolbox.
New to this edition:
- A new comprehensive evaluation typology in Chapter 2 helps readers systematically identify stakeholders' needs and select the evaluation options best suited to those needs.
- A new Part V, Advanced Issues in Program Evaluation, includes three new chapters that help readers understand challenging issues and innovative approaches, and enhance their competencies in applying them.
- Coverage of cutting-edge evaluation perspectives and approaches, including the Action Model/Change Model Schema, helps readers think "outside the box."
- New chapters introduce the innovative holistic effectuality approach as an alternative to the traditional experimentation evaluation approach for conducting real-world outcome evaluation and expand the scope of evaluation from effectuality to viability and transferability.
- A new Chapter 14 explores the relative strengths and limitations of formal theories versus stakeholder theories.
- A new Chapter 15 compares two approaches to evaluation and dissemination: the top-down approach versus the bottom-up approach.
- The more complex evaluation theories presented in later chapters are presented in accessible language and illustrated with interesting real-world examples.
Table of Contents:
PREFACE
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BOOK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Fundamentals for Program Evaluation
2. Understand Approaches to Evaluation and Select Ones That Work: The Comprehensive Evaluation Typology
3. Logic Models and the Action Model/Change Model Schema (Program Theory)
PART II: PROGRAM EVALUATION TO HELP STAKEHOLDERS DEVELOP A PROGRAM PLAN
4. Helping Stakeholders Clarify a Program Plan: Program Scope
5. Helping Stakeholders Clarify a Program Plan: Action Plan
PART III: EVALUATING IMPLEMENTATION
6. Constructive Process Evaluation Tailored for the Initial Implementation
7. Assessing Implementation in the Mature Implementation Stage
PART IV: PROGRAM MONITORING AND OUTCOME EVALUATION
8. Program Monitoring and the Development of a Monitoring System
9. Constructive Outcome Evaluations
10. The Experimentation Evaluation Approach to Outcome Evaluation
11. The Holistic Effectuality Evaluation Approach to Outcome Evaluation
12. The Theory-Driven Approach to Outcome Evaluation
PART V: ADVANCED ISSUES IN PROGRAM EVALUATION
13. What to Do if Your Logic Model Does Not Work as Well as Expected
14. Formal Theories Versus Stakeholder Theories in Interventions: Relative Strengths and Limitations
15. Evaluation and Dissemination: Top-Down Approach Versus Bottom-Up Approach
References
Index
About the Author :
Huey T. Chen has been a Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham since 2002. He was born and raised in Taiwan. Dr. Chen worked at the University of Akron until 1997, when he joined the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the chief of an evaluation branch. Dr. Chen had taken a leadership role in designing and implementing a national evaluation system for assessing the CDC funded HIV prevention programs, which are based in health departments and community organizations. Dr. Chen has contributed to the development of evaluation theory and methodology, especially in the areas of program theory and theory-driven evaluations. His book, Theory-Driven Evaluations, has been recognized as one of the landmarks in program evaluation. In 1998 he received the Senior Biomedical Research Service Award from the CDC. He is also the 1993 recipient of the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for contributions to Evaluation Theory from the American Evaluation Association.
Review :
"The strength of this text is its coverage of practical concerns for consideration by practitioners who are envisioning, planning, and executing program evaluations."
"Chen has the best conceptual framework, and the quality of his writing and analysis are superb. He takes the reader through the essential steps in evaluation, with particularly valuable treatment of stakeholder involvement."
"In this eminently readable book, Chen presents a strong matrix framework for conceptualizing a full range of evaluation strategies and approaches… The writing is exceptionally clear, accessible to novice evaluators, and, because it is fair-minded and principled, of relevance to seasoned evaluators as well."
"Professor Chen′s Second Edition of Practical Program Evaluation sets a new standard for providing a variety of systematic frameworks for conducting high quality program evaluations. The readers will come away with a detailed understanding of both conventional and cutting-edge approaches. It is a must-read for practicing program evaluators, evaluation scholars, and students of evaluation."
"Huey Chen brings decades of evaluation and experience to this new edition. He continues his innovative and pragmatic thinking about evaluation including identifying, constructing, and testing theories that can work, that is, practical theories. Dr. Chen shows how to blend formative and summative evaluation, process and outcome evaluation, theory and action, and much more. If one desires to articulate and build program theories that work, from the bottom up, and conduct effective evaluations, this rigorous and practical book is for you."
"Dr. Chen’s latest effort offers evaluators a thoughtful expansion on the topics addressed in Practical Program Evaluation (2005) in terms of program theory, logic modeling, and his evaluation typology. New chapters gleaned from the field reveal solution sets for overcoming challenges in a variety of contexts while still balancing scientific and stakeholder needs. This new work provides a solid foundation for the further development of an evaluator’s acumen."
