Empiricism provides the backbone of knowledge creation within social science disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology) and applied domains of study (e.g., education, administration) alike. Yet, relative to such domains of inquiry, comparatively little empirical research on evaluation has occurred, and the research knowledge base been infrequently synthesized and integrated to influence theory and practice. The proposed book aims to fill this void with regard to participatory evaluation, a set of collaborative approaches to evaluation that is receiving considerable attention of late, including a growing body of empirical studies. The authors begin in Part 1 with the delineation of a widely known and familiar conceptual framework for participatory evaluation. They then use the framework in Part 2 as a guide to conducting an extensive review of the extant empirical knowledge base in participatory evaluation, culminating in a thematic analysis of what we know about the approach. In Part 3 the authors focus on methodological considerations of doing research on participatory evaluation through a critique of existing studies and an explication of design choices drawn from their own research program. The book concludes in Part 4 with implications for moving the field forward in terms of important research questions, methodological direction and evaluation practice. This book will be of central interest to evaluation theorists and to those who choose to conduct research on evaluation; appeal will be conceptual and methodological. It will provide excellent supplementary reading for graduate students, many of whom seek to develop empirical studies on evaluation as part of their graduate programs. Rife with examples of participatory evaluation in practice, and practical implications, the book will also benefit evaluation practitioners with an interest in evaluation capacity building and participatory and collaborative approaches to practice.

This text examines "participatory evaluation" which involves teachers and educational administrators along with researchers in a range of education- based evaluation tasks with the aim of improving quality. Topics covered include variations in the approach, its viability and its likely impact.

Evaluation is not a self-contained phase of social work practice - one more dimension of the process - but a dimension of every phase. In this fully rewritten and updated second edition of his groundbreaking text Evaluating in Practice, Ian Shaw demonstrates how evaluation and inquiry are just as much practice tasks as planning, intervention and review. By demonstrating that good evaluating in practice helps sustain a commitment to evidence, understanding and justice, Shaw shows that for this to be achieved, evaluating in practice must permeate every aspect of social work. He: 1. Develops a framework for embedding evaluation and inquiry as a dimension of good practice in social work. 2. Demonstrates the central significance of a 'methodological practice' in social work that adapts, infuses, and translates social research methods as a dimension of the different aspects of social work, viz. assessment, planning, intervention, review and outcomes. 3. Facilitates good practice by exemplifying the argument through extensive worked examples and exercises. This book has much to say about the demanding skills that are necessary to achieve this shaping of practice and is a must-read for any social work student or practitioner.

Evaluation is an essential element of professional practice. However, there is little in the literature that is designed to help students involve and support young people in evaluating the impact of youth work activities. This comprehensive book explores current thinking about evaluation in the context of youth work and community work and offers both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for students, practitioners, organisational leaders and commissioners. Part 1 provides underpinning knowledge of the origins, purpose and functions of evaluation. It charts the developments in evaluation thinking over the past 50 years, and includes an exploration of ‘theory of change’. Concepts such as impact, impact measurement and shared measurement are critically examined to illustrate the political nature of evaluation. Findings from empirical research are used to illuminate the challenges of applying a quasi-experimental paradigm of evaluation of youth and community work. Part 2 introduces the reader to participatory evaluation and presents an overview of the histories, rationale and underpinning principles. Empowerment evaluation, collaborative evaluation and democratic evaluation are examined in detail, including practice examples. Transformative Evaluation, an approach specifically designed for youth and community work, is presented. Part 3 focuses on the ‘doing’ of participatory evaluation and offers guidance to those new to participatory evaluation in youth and community work and a helpful check for those already engaging. It provides valuable information on planning, methods, data and data analysis and processes for sharing knowledge. This essential text will enable the reader to reconstruct evaluation as a tool for learning as well as a tool for judging value. It provides a comprehensive reference, drawing on a wide range of literature and practice examples to support those involved in youth and community work to develop and implement participatory approaches to evaluating and communicating the meaning and value of youth and community work to a wider audience.

Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People is a groundbreaking book that provides step-by-step, playful, and accessible activities that have proven effective and can be used by evaluators, educators, youth workers, researchers, funders, and children’s and human rights advocates in their efforts to more effectively engage young people.

"Collaborative, participatory, and empowerment evaluations are stakeholder involvement approaches to evaluation. They address concerns about relevance, trust, and use in evaluation. They also build capacity and respond to pressing evaluation needs in the global community. The chapters in this book are designed to help further distinguish one approach from another. The essentials of collaborative, participatory, and empowerment evaluation are presented in separate chapters in order to help practitioners compare and contrast approaches. In addition, case examples are used to illustrate what each approach looks like in practice"--

What principles should guide an empowerment evaluation? And how can these principles actually be put into practice? One of the primary tasks in an empowerment evaluation (EE) is to increase the capacity of program stakeholders to plan, implement, and evaluate their own programs. This book presents the most current formulation of the 10 principles of EE and provides professionals and students with the tools to put these principles into practice. Through case studies of diverse evaluation projects--including community health foundation initiatives, school district programs, and a $15 million corporate program aimed at bridging the digital divide--the founder and leading proponents of EE clarify key concepts and discuss important lessons learned. Coverage includes how to balance program improvement efforts with accountability requirements; how EE can be used to guide standards-based work; how to use EE in a learning organization; the differences among empowerment, collaborative, and participatory evaluation; and much more.

Evaluation Roots: A Wider Perspective of Theorists’ Views and Influences, Second Edition provides an updated examination of current evaluation theories and traces their evolution. Marvin C. Alkin shows how theories build upon theories and how the theories are related to each other. The way in which these evaluation "roots" grew to form a tree helps to provide a better understanding of evaluation theory. In addition to the editor's overview, the book contains essays by leading evaluation theorists. In these pieces, the evaluators comment on their own development and give their views of their placement upon the tree. **All royalties from sales of this book are donated to support the AEA Research on Evaluation Student Award.**

Program evaluations are more relevant when conducted by the people directly involved in the programs and members of the communities they serve. Learn how empowerment and participatory evaluation can help community programs deliver more effective services! With this book, you’ll examine theoretical models, empirical investigations, and case studies that highlight important aspects of empowerment and participatory evaluation in community programs. The first half of the book presents frameworks and tools for empowerment and participatory evaluation, with an emphasis on transferring skills and building capacity. The remaining chapters examine specific efforts to implement empowerment and participatory evaluation with a range of stakeholders, highlighting the ways in which community members collaborated with evaluators and were actively engaged in the evaluation process. Covering various types of evaluations across a range of urgent social issues, this book offers practical steps for implementing evaluations and presents theoretical models as well as applied examples. The issues that Empowerment and Participatory Evaluation of Community Interventions addresses include: challenges faced by community-based organizations in conducting evaluations of their initiativesand solutions to those challenges, including the creation and implementation of an appropriate outcomes model ways to build capacity for participatory evaluation within community initiatives ways to promote the success and accountability of community programs how collaborative process evaluation can improve HIV prevention services evaluation techniques that illustrate the benefits of a collaborative approachwith a case study of the Conflict Resolution in Schools Programs a pilot study in which empowerment evaluation principles are used to evaluate the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago’s Youth Leadership Training Series (a program designed to train youth volunteers) Presenting important information on program evaluation, community-based interventions and community empowerment, empowerment/participatory evaluation, community psychology, collaborative partnerships, program improvement, utilization-focused evaluation, consultation, and more, Empowerment and Participatory Evaluation of Community Interventions is a resource that everyone involved in community psychology should have!