Evaluation

Evaluation and Research

It may be informative to distinguish activities construed as evaluation from those usually associated with research. Although there is no simple way to differentiate between the two, there are three dimensions on which they may differ. First, an evaluation need not have as its objective the generation of ‘new’ knowledge. Evaluation is applied; research is basic. Second, evaluations produce information that is used to make decisions or form the basis of policy. Evaluations yield information that has immediate use; research may not. Third, an evaluation should be, finally, a judgment of worth. True evaluations result in value judgments; research need not and some would say should not.

Personnel Evaluations

Personnel evaluations involve making judgments about an individual's performance as well as contributions to his or her work while providing guidance to improve the individual's performance. Personnel evaluations intend to be unbiased, moral, reasonable, sufficient, and precise assessments of an individual's work. Generally, persons are evaluated over a specified time period with a particular model or approach.

There are multiple personnel evaluation approaches and systems. Most systems, however, determine individual effectiveness and contributions to their organizations as they relate to personal goals or workload agreements. Usually, the evaluations are conducted with predetermined and agreed-upon instruments, standardized categories of professional contributions and growth, and jointly acceptable goals. Scoring rubrics are applied to each evaluation category. The results of personnel evaluations are used for decisions about promotion, salary adjustments, additional training, or other personnel matters.

Program Evaluations

Program evaluations, perhaps the most popular form of evaluation, are systematic inquiries into the value, merit, and worth of educational, medical, or training programs. Proper program evaluations include not only an estimate of the effects of the program but also judgments about materials associated with the program, possible side effects of the program, and the worthiness of the goals of the program. Program evaluations can determine the quality or effectiveness of programs and provide ways to improve the program. For the most part, this encyclopedia entry describes issues and procedures related to program evaluation because of its relative popularity.

The Special Place of Goals

Evaluation studies are set in contexts where goals, standards, outcomes, or similar targets for improvement have been identified. How the goals are articulated and the importance attached to them form the basis for judging the object being evaluated. It is generally acknowledged that defining the goals specifically and rigorously is an essential first step for defining the program or project and directing the evaluation. There are those, however, who would disagree with the statement and advocate goal-free evaluation—evaluating what has been accomplished rather than what was envisaged.

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