How To Assess Program Implementation

How to Assess Program Implementation

Extensively revised to reflect modern views of program implementation, this volume introduces the variety of functions served by implementation studies and the roles played by qualitative and quantitative data. The reader is shown the importance of assessing how a program design works in actual practice--and is given the planning tools and procedures to make assessment happen. The evaluator′s role in documenting, describing, observing and assessing how a program is implemented is covered in detail. Step-by-step guidelines are provided for identifying key program processes and arrangements for assessment, for selecting optimal strategies for conducting the assessment, and for developing and analyzing questionnaires, interviews, observations, and program records.

How to Measure Program Implementation

Abstract: A major task of the program evaluator is to describe how a program looks in operation and whether implementation in practice matches what was planned. Few evaluation reports describe sufficiently those program processes which allow participants to achieve objectives. Skills for describing program implementation and designing measurement instruments for support of such descriptions are presented in this 4th volume of a series on program evaluation. Components of the detailed implementation report include the context and characteristics of the program (setting and participants) and program materials and activities. Data collection methods measuring program implementation involve the use of existing measures or the construction of new ones. Hints on sampling strategies, data summary and analysis, record-keeping, observation systems, and self-reports are given. A final chapter discusses the reliability and validity of implementation measures, factors indicative of their quality.

How to Assess Program Implementation