Program Evaluation: A Field Guide for Administrators

This book is written to help human service program administrators either in­ terpret or conduct program evaluations. Our intended audience includes admin­ istrators and those students being trained for careers in human services administration. Our focus is on persons interested in assessing programs in which people work with people to improve their condition. The book's title, Program Evaluation: A Field Guide for Administrators, describes how we hope you use this book-as a tool. In writing the book, we have attempted to meet the needs of persons who have to conduct program evaluations as well as those who must use those evaluations. Hence, we have attempted to make the book "user friendly. " You will find, for example, numer­ ous guidelines, cautions, and specific suggestions. Use the book actively. Our primary motive is to help administrators make better decisions. In fact, the primary reason for program evaluation is to help program administrators make good decisions. These decisions often must balance the goals of equity (or fairness in the distribution of goods and services among people in the economy), efficiency (obtaining the most output for the least resources), and political feasi­ bility. Take, for example, the administrator who must decide between a new program favored by some of the program's constituents, and maintaining the status quo, which is favored by other constituents.