1. Introductory Class: What is Evaluation All About?
PPPA 6016
Katrina L. Bledsoe, Ph.D.
The DeBruce Foundation

2. Introductions The Instructor The Colleagues Year in the Program
What you hope to do when you leave the program
Why are you taking this course?
What are you hoping to learn from this course?

3. Administration and Logistics
General overview of the course
Syllabus #1
Syllabus #2
How to reach me
Blackboard

4. Class Discussion What is evaluation?
What do you think is the difference between program evaluation and evaluation?
What is the purpose of evaluation?
If you’ve had any, discuss some of your experiences with evaluation
What are some of the challenges of conducting evaluation in general but also the public policy sphere?

5. Welcome to the Field of Evaluation!
A Little history of the field
Where the field is today and where is it headed?
What does 21st century evaluation look like?

6. Why Evaluation for Public Policy and Public Administration
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Service Orientation
Accountability
Democracy
Trust

7. The Experimenting Society
Donald Campbell envisioned a society where methods, data and science would be used in service of the public good.
Hoped to use evaluation to make good, level-headed decisions.

8. What is Evlauation?
The determination of merit, significance or worth- Michael Scriven
A family of research approaches designed to systematically investigate the effectiveness of social interventions- Rossi, Freeman, and Lipsey

9. What’s the Difference Between Research and Evaluation
Research looks to provide information information often seeking causal outcomes
Evaluation looks to provide a judgment of merit, significance and worth

10. Evaluation Approaches
There are many ways to conduct evaluations
Theory-driven
Utilization-focused
Empowerment
Consumer-based
Goal-free
Culturally-Responsive
Transformative
Participatory
Etc.

11. What Makes Up An Evaluation?
Methods and methodology
The actual evaluation approach
Data and analysis
Recommendations
Stakeholders

12. For Next Week
We’ll start with a general understanding of evaluation in depth
Read/cursory read chapters 1, 26, and 31 in the Handbook of Practical Evaluation by Newcomer, Hatry, and Wholey