Evaluation: A Systematic Approach

by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, Gary T. Henry

Overview

The long-awaited new edition is here!  

Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, and Gary T. Henry, is the best-selling comprehensive introduction to the field of program evaluation, covering the range of evaluation research activities used in appraising the design, implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency of social programs. Evaluation domains are presented in a coherent framework that not only explores each, but recognizes their interrelationships, their role in improving social programs and the outcomes they are designed to affect, and their embeddedness in social and political context.   

Relied on as the "gold standard" by professors, students, and practitioners for 40 years, the new Eighth Edition includes a new practical chapter on planning an evaluation, entirely new examples throughout, and a major re-organization of the book’s content to better serve the needs of program evaluation courses.  

"The Eighth Edition of Evaluation is a massive improvement on an already stellar text. The breadth and depth of coverage—while still keeping a practical focus—make this the go-to book for program evaluation classes and practitioners alike."   —B. Andrew Chupp, Indiana University

Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class
Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506307909
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	12/06/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	360
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Mark W. Lipsey is the Director of the Center for Evaluation Research and Methodology, and a Senior Research Associate, at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies (Ph.D. in Psychology from The Johns Hopkins University in 1972). His professional interests are in the areas of public policy, program evaluation research, social intervention, field research methodology, and research synthesis (meta-analysis).  The topics of his recent research have been risk and intervention for juvenile delinquency and substance use, early childhood education programs, and issues of methodological quality in program evaluation research. Professor Lipsey serves on the editorial boards of Evaluation and Program Planning, Psychological Bulletin, the Journal of Experimental Criminology, and the American Journal of Community Psychology, and boards or committees of, among others, the National Research Council, the Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse, Campbell Collaboration, and Blueprints for Violence Prevention. He is a recipient of the American Evaluation Association’s Paul Lazarsfeld Award, the Society of Prevention Research’s Nan Tobler Award, a Fellow of the American Psychological Society, and co-author of the program evaluation textbook, Evaluation: A Systematic Approach and the meta-analysis primer, Practical Meta-Analysis.

 

Duncan and Rebecca Kyle MacRae Professor of Public Policy; Director of Graduate Admissions; Director of Education Policy Initiative at Carolina

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. What Is Program Evaluation and Why Is It Needed?
What Is Program Evaluation?
Why Is Program Evaluation Needed?
Systematic Program Evaluation
The Central Role of Evaluation Questions
The Five Domains of Evaluation Questions and Methods
Summary
Key Concepts
2. Social Problems and Assessing the Need for a Program
The Role of Evaluators in Diagnosing Social Conditions and Service Needs
Defining the Problem to Be Addressed
Specifying the Extent of the Problem: When, Where, and How Big?
Defining and Identifying the Target Populations of Interventions
Describing Target Populations
Describing the Nature of Service Needs
Summary
Key Concepts
3. Assessing Program Theory and Design
Evaluability Assessment
Describing Program Theory
Eliciting Program Theory
Assessing Program Theory
Possible Outcomes of Program Theory Assessment
Summary
Key Concepts
4. Assessing Program Process and Implementation
What Is Program Process Evaluation and Monitoring?
Perspectives on Program Process Monitoring
Assessing Service Utilization
Assessing Organizational Functions
Summary
Key Concepts
5. Measuring and Monitoring Program Outcomes
Program Outcomes
Identifying Relevant Outcomes
Measuring Program Outcomes
Monitoring Program Outcomes
Summary
Key Concepts
6. Impact Evaluation: Isolating the Effects of Social Programs in the Real World
The Nature and Importance of Impact Evaluation
When Is an Impact Evaluation Appropriate?
What Would Have Happened Without the Program?
The Logic of Impact Evaluation: The Potential Outcomes Framework
The Fundamental Problem of Causal Inference: Unavoidable Missing Data
Summary
Key Concepts
7. Impact Evaluation: Comparison Group Designs
Bias in Estimation of Program Effects
Potential Advantages of Comparison Group Designs
Comparison Group Designs for Impact Evaluation
Cautions About Quasi-Experiments for Impact Evaluation
Summary
Key Concepts
8. Impact Evaluation: Designs With Strict Controls on Program Access
Controlling Selection Bias by Controlling Access to the Program
Key Concepts in Impact Evaluation
When Is Random Assignment Ethical and Practical?
Application of the Regression Discontinuity Design
Choosing an Impact Evaluation Design
Summary
Key Concepts
9. Detecting, Interpreting, and Exploring Program Effects
The Magnitude of a Program Effect
Detecting Program Effects
Examining Variation in Program Effects
The Role of Meta-Analysis
Summary
Key Concepts
10. Assessing the Economic Efficiency of Programs
Key Concepts in Efficiency Analysis
Conducting Cost-Benefit Analyses
Conducting Cost-Effectiveness Analyses
Summary
Key Concepts
11. Planning an Evaluation
Evaluation Purpose and Scope
Data Collection, Acquisition, and Management
Data Analysis Plan
Communication Plan
Project Management Plan
Summary
Key Concepts
12. The Social and Political Context of Evaluation
The Social Ecology of Evaluations
The Profession of Evaluation
Evaluation Standards, Guidelines, and Ethics
Utilization of Evaluation Results
Epilogue: The Future of Evaluation
Summary
Key Concepts
Glossary
References
Author Index
Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

New edition of a time-tested text/reference first published in 1979, providing an introduction to the broad set of research activities essential for designing, implementing, and appraising the utility of social programs. Chapters cover diagnostic procedures, tailoring evaluations, program monitoring, impact assessment, assessment of full-coverage programs, measuring efficiency, and the social context of evaluation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"What sets this book apart is the sheer comprehensiveness resulting from almost four decades of research and refinements though seven editions. It is suitable for use in teaching senior undergraduate and graduate students in a range of fields and disciplines as well as experienced evolution practitioners. It is also useful to those who are interested in resolving, or being able to understand and address theoretical and methodological issues that are inherent in any evaluation study."

Daniela C. Schroter

The Eighth Edition of Evaluation is a massive improvement on an already stellar text. The breadth and depth of coverage—while still keeping a practical focus—make this the go-to book for program evaluation classes and practitioners alike.

B. Andrew Chupp

This thoughtfully-designed text provides an update on a classic tool for understanding evaluation.

Brian Boggs

I have used previous editions of this text either as a student or professor for 20 years. This new edition is a great update of a reliable textbook on evaluation, including updated terminology and methodology.

Kimberley Shoaf

This is another exceptional work by the authors. This book not only helps novice evaluators, it also provides tools for expert evaluators. This new edition brings new cases and exhibits that connect the theory to practice and contextualizes the content for students: students can visualize and understand the content as they relate it to their own professional lives.

Osman Özturgut

The material in the Eighth Edition is effectively sequenced, and the technical orientation of the chapters makes the book an indispensable partner even for seasoned scholars and practitioners in the art of program evaluation.

Kalu Kalu

This is another exceptional work by the authors. This book not only helps novice evaluators, it also provides tools for expert evaluators. This new edition brings new cases and exhibits that connect the theory to practice and contextualizes the content for students: students can visualize and understand the content as they relate it to their own professional lives.

Osman Özturgut