Читать книгу An Introduction to Evaluation - Chris Fox - Страница 38

 Evaluation can be distinguished from monitoring, performance management, audit and accreditation by its use of social research methods.

 Evaluation can be distinguished from other types of research by its emphasis on judgements of value. Research is undertaken to resolve a problem while evaluation is undertaken to establish value. Evaluation is thus inherently political, raising questions about whether it is necessarily subjective, or can claim objectivity.

 A formative evaluation studies the development of a programme.

 A summative evaluation studies the effectiveness of a programme.

 A process or implementation evaluation studies the process of delivering a programme.

 An outcome or impact evaluation studies the outcome of a programme.

 An economic evaluation studies the worth of a programme.

 Theory-based evaluations start with a programme theory that informs the evaluation design and subsequent evaluation activity.

 Evaluation has a relatively short history when compared to the wider social sciences.

 One way to understand the historical development of evaluation is to set it alongside the development of government. Evaluation had its first ‘boom’ in the post-war period as governments expanded their health and social responsibilities. Over recent decades trends in evaluation have reflected neo-liberal and managerialist trends in government.

 Some would argue that the most recent ‘wave’ of evaluation is inextricably linked to the move towards ‘evidence-based policy’, and is characterised by the resurgence of a ‘scientific’ approach to evaluation.