The Eight Problems Approach to Evaluation

Evaluation is a technique of managing public organizations in which systematic data gathering and other research like operations per definition play a considerable role. Evaluators may consider some or all of the following eight problems: purpose problem; organization (evaluator) problem; intervention analysis problem; conversion problem; results problem; impact problem; criterion problem and utilization problem. Evaluability assessment is a preevaluation which tries to find out whether the program can be subjected to a full impact analysis. In talking about evaluation purposes, have something more far–fetched in mind, namely, why the sponsor wants to have these particular things examined. Explanatory evaluation amounts to means–ends evaluation. It sets out to assess programs with respect to something they are supposed to produce or have inadvertently generated. Occasionally, the issue of describing the intervention can be lightly dealt with. An evaluation is supposed to be used in future decision making concerning the evaluated program.

Computer Science · Evaluation and Performance Assessment