Can a Workbook Work? Examining Whether a Practitioner Evaluation Toolkit Can Promote Instrumental Use

• NCJ Number: 249613
• Journal: Evaluation and Program Planning Volume: 52 Dated: October 2015 Pages: 107-117
• Author(s): R. Campbell; S. M. Townsend; J. Shaw; N. Karim; J. Markowitz
• Date Published: October 2015
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-MU-MU-0002
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

Since there has been limited research to date on whether a practitioner toolkit fosters the successful design, implementation, and use of evaluation findings, the current study conducted a multi-site project that developed a practitioner evaluation toolkit and then studied the extent to which the toolkit and accompanying technical assistance were effective in promoting successful completion of local-level evaluations and fostering instrumental use of the findings (i.e., whether programs directly used their findings to improve practice, see Patton, 2008).

Abstract

In large-scale, multi-site contexts, developing and disseminating practitioner-oriented evaluation toolkits are an increasingly common strategy for building evaluation capacity. Toolkits explain the evaluation process, present evaluation design choices, and offer step-by-step guidance to practitioners. In the current project, forensic nurse practitioners from six geographically dispersed service programs completed methodologically rigorous evaluations; and all six programs used the findings to create programmatic and community-level changes to improve local practice. Implications for evaluation capacity-building are discussed. (Publisher abstract modified)