A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning: Theory and Case Examples

A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning: Theory and Case Examples provides a step-by-step process to guide evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet feasible, program evaluation―from start to design―within any context. No book currently on the market delineate the required steps for preparing to conduct an evaluation. The co-editors of this text developed a model to guide the complex process of planning for program evaluations in a variety of settings. This model, entitled Evaluation Planning Incorporating Context (EPIC), builds on previous work by providing a practical, applied step-by-step process for planning a program evaluation in any setting. Contributing authors then use the EPIC model to describe an evaluation process that they followed in a variety of settings. The EPIC model and the case examples presented in this book provide evaluators with the conceptual tools and a framework for thinking about the pre-evaluation tasks that may be necessary for a successful, useful, and informative evaluation.

Key Features

• Present new evaluation planning model that provides a step-by step process for how to plan for a program evaluation in any context
• Introduces students to the issues in planning for an evaluation within selected contexts using case studies
• Focuses on planning prior to design by providing practical guidance to plan an evaluation from the start, before a design can or has been determined

Intended Audience

This is a vital supplemental text for evaluation courses.

Debra J. Holden received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill, an M.S. in Community Psychology from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from North Carolina State University. She has worked for 19 years in a variety of settings to implement and evaluate health programs including those at the national, state and local levels.

Marc Zimmerman is the Marshall H. Becker Collegiate Professor of Public Health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is Director of the Prevention Research Center, and Director of the CDC-funded Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center. Dr. Zimmerman’s research focuses on health and resiliency of adolescents, adolescent substance abuse, family influences on adolescent health, and AIDS prevention. His research includes both longitudinal interview studies and community intervention. His work on empowerment theory includes measurement and analysis of psychological and community empowerment. Dr. Zimmerman is a Fellow of the Society for Community Research and Action and of the American Psychological Association. He has published extensively and is the Editor of Youth and Society and a member of the Editorial Board of Health Education Research.