Definitions

Evaluation = Process of judging the merit or

worth of something
Research
application of scientific methods to answer
questions
controlled inquiry directed at increasing
knowledge/establishing truth
Evaluation Research - combine the two
Research Evaluation

Evaluation Research
 Why Evaluate -
To assess merits of alternative programs
To discover whether & how well objectives are
being fulfilled
To determine the reasons for successes &
failures.
To uncover the principles underlying a
successful program.
To refine, revise, update or track a program
 Other reasons

1. Because we are required to

2. To make better decisions.
3. To learn from experience
4. To justify programs
5. To kill programs
 Purposes of Research
Answer management questions - applied research
For sake of knowing - pure or basic research
Answer research questions - methodological
Develop/test management alternatives -
developmental research
Assess worth or merit of programs - evaluation
research
Research Purposes - II

Exploratory
Descriptive
Explanatory
Predictive
 Ways of Knowing
or Establishing belief or truth

Tradition
Authority
Repetition
Science
 Science
Body of Knowledge Method of Inquiry

systematic logical
abstract induction
general deduction
self-corrective
empirical
 Scientific Management
Application of scientific principles to
management and decision making

systematic information gathering

empirical, objective, self-corrective
 Process -- Steps
Research Evaluation
define problem describe program
objectives/hypotheses evaluation criteria
literature review program scoping
research methods evaluation methods
gather data/analysis gather data/analysis
conclusions conclusions
 Types of Evaluation
by Program Stage

formative (conceptualization/design)]

process (implementation)

summative (outcomes, impacts, efficiency)

Types - By Approach
Standards
norm-based
criterion-referenced

Goals and objectives

Impacts or effects
 Types- by method

Qualitative - quantitative
Secondary data - Primary
Survey - Experiment
Internal vs external
Who - Peers, participants, superiors,
subordinates, scientists
 Evaluation Criteria

Effort - qnty and qlty of inputs

Performance - qnty and qlty of outputs
Adequacy - meet needs?
Efficiency - benefits/costs
Equity - distributional issues, fairness
 Process Evaluation
Identifies how and why program works
attributes
recipients
conditions
effects
single or multiple
intended or side effects
timing & duration, long/short term
cognitive, affective or behavioral
 Types by program area/subarea

Emphasis: Parks, Tourism, Interp,

Program Mgmt, Commercial Rec, ...

Program : lands, facilities, personnel,

budget, marketing, PR, maintenance,
design, policies, plans
 Types of Research
Basic - Applied
Exploratory, Descriptive, Explanatory,
Predictive
In-house / out- house
by discipline - sociological, psych, economics
by topic - boating, wilderness, legal, tourism, ...
by method - survey, expmt, ...
 Examples of Evaluation Studies

Community needs assessment

Feasibility study, SWOT analysis
Program Audits, Market audit
Cost/benefit anaysis
Impact assessment
Peer review
Importance-performance analysis