This course provides an overview to program evaluation in public affairs. It explores the complexities and realities of conducting program evaluation studies in community-based settings, such as public agencies, schools, non-profit organizations, and collaborative initiatives.
The overall purpose of this course is to provide students with a conceptual framework and practical strategies for conducting community-based evaluation studies.
We use a project-based approach that will allow us to compare and contrast different evaluation projects across the course --from establishing guiding evaluation questions to instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of findings to multiple audiences. Over the course of the semester, students will work in teams to design and develop their own comprehensive evaluation plan for a selected "real world" program run in a public or nonprofit organization.
prereq: Grad student or instr consent