NCJ Number
15525
Journal
Social Work Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1974) Pages: 675-681
Date Published
1974
Length
7 pages
Annotation
DISCUSSION OF THREE TYPES OF EVALUATION - SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION, EVALUATION RESEARCH, AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM - AND THE DECISIONS FOR WHICH THEY ARE SUITED.
Abstract
SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION INVOLVE THE TESTING OF PROTOTYPE PROGRAMS ON A SMALL SCALE BEFORE COMMITTING LARGE AMOUNTS OF TIME, MONEY, AND EFFORT TO LARGE SCALE UNDERTAKINGS. TRADITIONAL EVALUATION RESEARCH GENERALLY INVOLVES A BEFORE-AND-AFTER ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH PROGRAM GOALS ARE BEING REALIZED. THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM IS A METHOD OF PROGRAM EVALUATION THAT PROVIDES ONLY THE INFORMATION THAT THE INTENDED USERS HAVE DEFINED AS RELATED TO THEIR VALUES AND NEEDS. USE OF ONE OR THE OTHER OF THESE EVALUATION MODELS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION IS DETERMINED BY THE TYPE OF DECISION TO BE MADE AND THE DATA THAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE DECISION.