In the broad field of evaluation, the importance of stakeholders is often acknowledged and different categories of stakeholders are identified. Far less frequent is careful attention to analysis of stakeholders' interests, needs, concerns, power, priorities, and perspectives and subsequent application of that knowledge to the design of…

Despite the increasing investment in multi-year federally funded science and technology centers in universities, there are few studies of how these centers engage in learning and change based on information submitted from various agents in the oversight and evaluation process. One challenge is how to manage and respond to this evaluative…

Purpose: To discuss the utility of and value of the use of logic models for program evaluation of community-based programs and more specifically, the integration of logic models and factor analysis to develop and revise a survey as part of an effective evaluation plan. Principal results: Diverse stakeholders with varying outlooks used a logic…

Schools are held more responsible for evaluating, quality assuring and improving their student assessments. Teachers' lack of understanding of new, competence-based assessments as well as the lack of key stakeholders' involvement, hamper effective and efficient self-evaluations by teachers of innovative, competence-based assessments (CBAs). While…

The paper describes a study conducted to explicate the multiple theories underlying Chile's national teacher evaluation program. These theories will serve as the basis for evaluating the intended consequences of this evaluation system, while not losing sight of emerging unintended consequences. We first analyzed legal and policy documents and then…

As the number of large federal programs increases, so, too, does the need for a more complete understanding of how to conduct evaluations of such complex programs. The research literature has documented the benefits of stakeholder participation in smaller-scale program evaluations. However, given the scope and diversity of projects in multi-site…

Educational needs assessments (hereafter NAs) are inattentive to cost considerations and are frequently dominated by elite stakeholder groups. In this article I make a case for adopting a cost-utility approach, illustrating the argument with data generated in a NA of central library services in a Canadian school district. Using survey data from…

Reports on the design phase of two case studies of two small local human service agencies. The participatory design process is described and the meaning of stakeholder participation is reviewed. The value of stakeholder participation in evaluation design is affirmed. (RB)

Identifies key factors that should be considered by those engaged in the evaluation of overseas development projects to ensure that the evaluation process leads to the empowerment of local stakeholders. A literature review resulted in the development of seven guidelines for evaluation of overseas development projects. (SLD)

The Evaluation Voices approach collaboratively united perspectives of program stakeholders, evaluators, and network partners to strengthen individual program evaluation strategies. This approach is described, with emphasis on the shared experience of evaluators and network partners. (SLD)

Used concept mapping and pattern matching in exploratory research to investigate differences in stakeholder perceptions of training results and evaluation. Group perceptions and the individual perceptions of 39 managers, product developers, and training professionals show that all stakeholder groups agreed reasonably well about the importance of…

In the evaluation of a major university's effort to extend its resources in support of volunteer development, the program decisionmakers' involvement went beyond the usual limits. The program advisory council participated in the design of data collection instruments and the interviewing of clients. The advantages and disadvantages are described.…

Shows how evaluators can handle conflict and create, restore, and maintain conditions for an ongoing negotiation process using the example of a vocational rehabilitation project for psychiatric patients in which a conflict developed between management and therapists. (SLD)

Misuses of null hypothesis significance testing are reviewed and alternative approaches are suggested for carrying out and reporting statistical tests that might be useful to program evaluators. Several themes, including the importance of respecting the magnitude of Type II errors and describing effect sizes in units stakeholders can understand,…

The grounded experiences of two participatory evaluation case studies indicate that, when action is the desired outcome of an evaluation, somewhat less rather than more diversity of stakeholder participation is actually what is wanted. A narrowing of diversity is not necessarily in violation of democratic participatory aims. (SLD)