This article focuses on the management of federally funded evaluation research by (1) discussing aspects of building an in-house evaluation team; (2) defining possible contractor/client relationships, and (3) considering contractor/practitioner team rapport. (Author/GK)

In a study of federal funding for nongame wildlife programs, techniques for quantitatively assessing the relative merits of alternative funding sources are examined. Economic efficiency, ability to pay, and benefits received are considered, and the interaction of analysis with political ideologies is discussed. (SLD)

Four aspects of the relationship between auditing and evaluation in their approaches to program assessment are examined: (1) their different origins; (2) the definitions and purposes of both, and the questions they seek to answer; (3) contrasting viewpoints and emphases of auditors and evaluators; and (4) commonalities of interest and potential…

The collaborative effort between university researchers and a CETA sponsor aimed at "knowledge development" in employment and training services for disadvantaged out-of-school youth is described. Discussion is included concerning the feasibility of experimental evaluation for youth employment programs in a local setting. (Author/GK)

The problem of measuring impacts of employment and training programs when workers not receiving services are affected by the program is explored, using a reemployment bonus program as an example. The conventional measures of bonus impacts may significantly overestimate the net impact of the bonus offer. (SLD)

The use of peer review for federal research impact evaluation is described. Advanced review processes can improve the efficiency of a review, but the most important factors in a quality review are leader motivation and the competence and independence of review team members. No single method provides complete impact evaluation. (SLD)

Net impact estimates of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs vary widely and can be explained by the different evaluation methodologies used. Estimates are sensitive to the inclusion of recently unemployed persons in the comparison sample and assumptions about the time of decision to enroll in CETA. (GDC)

This article concerns recommendations made in a report to Congress and the Department of Education on evaluation of federally supported education programs. The work covers local, state, and federal efforts to address questions about why and how well evaluations are done, and about how results are used. The recommendations are directed toward…

Estimates are presented for net earnings impact of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act programs. Net impact was linked to the human capital model and estimated for numerous subgroups. The matching procedure and the use of quasiexperimental versus experimental design are also discussed. (Author/GDC)

Recommendations are made to Congress and the Department of Education on evaluation of federally supported education programs. The work covers local, state, and federal efforts to address questions about evaluation procedures and practices, and the use of evaluation results. The recommendations are directed toward improving the quality and…

This article offers an integrated approach to government program evaluation and an organizational model that clearly identifies the central role of evaluation in organizational life. This view includes: outcome evaluation; benefit-cost analysis; human rights; the level and distribution of benefits, costs, and rights; and a systems model of…

Recent evaluations of manpower training claim that: (1) nonexperimental methods produce unreliable estimates of program impacts and (2) randomized experiments are necessary for reliability. National Supported Work Demonstration data are used to reexamine nonexperimental estimates of net program impact on posttraining earnings of high school…

Two studies used experimental data to evaluate nonexperimental methods of program evaluation for employment and training programs. Results of both studies indicated that the nonexperimental methods might not accurately replicate the experimental estimates. Also, new methods for constructing comparison groups yielded little improvement over…

Estimates of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act's net impact on participant earnings, using Continuous Longitudinal Manpower Survey data, were compared to a similar sample from the Current Population Survey. The use of multivariate matching and weighting yielded acceptable results. (GDC)

This study addresses four issues in the evaluation of nutrition education programs: (1) the reliability of knowledge, belief, and behavior scales; (2) the effectiveness of programs targeted to the general public; (3) the longitudinal effects of nutrition education interventions; and (4) the relationship between changes in the cognitive, belief,…