Evaluation models

"Faced with a growing array of program evaluation approaches, evaluators should periodically take stock of their options. In this spirit, this monograph identifies, analyzes, and judges twenty-two evaluation approaches thought to cover most program evaluation efforts. Two approaches - labeled Pseudoevaluations - are politically oriented and often used illegitimately to misrepresent a program's value. The remaining twenty are judged to be legitimate and categorized for their orientations as Questions/ Methods, Improvement/Accountability, and Social Agenda/Advocacy. The best and most applicable approaches were judged to be Client-Centered/Responsive, Utilization-Focused, Decision/Accountability, Consumer-Oriented, Constructivist, Deliberative Democratic, Case Study, Outcome/Value Added Assessment, and Accreditation. The approaches judged least defensible or least useful include Public Relations, Politically Controlled, Accountability (especially payment by results), Clarification Hearing, and Program Theory-Based. The rest - including Objectives-Based, Experimental Studies, Management Information Systems, Criticism and Connoisseurship, Mixed Methods, Benefit-Cost Analysis, Performanc