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Based on a real program evaluation conducted in 2004, this article attempts to challenge conventional notions of evaluation as an empirical assessment of discrete measurable outputs and focus instead on the vision or active spirit of a community program. Working towards creation of an open and accessible community school to serve as a safe and trusted service centre for families at risk in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon, the Whole Child Project (WCP) has operated out of Whitehorse Elementary School since 2001. Encountering this program in its unique and isolated setting, and hearing first-hand accounts from the founders, participants, and community led the evaluator to a qualitative approach that allowed for expression of their vision and experiences through their stories – capturing the active spirit of the WCP rather than its objective benchmarks. This article explores the rationale, process, results, and impact of this re-imagined evaluation.

AbstractThough program evaluation has many different aspects, there are concerns common to the whole field.

AbstractThe General Accounting Office transition report to the executive and legislative branches of government, Program Evaluation Issues, began with this short statement of the importance of evaluation in government.

AbstractWhat do the preceding chapters suggest about the role of economic analysis in program evaluation, and where might efforts to improve these tools be concentrated?

This study illustrates the process of program evaluation using a logic model. Guided by the Transtheoretical Model of Change and a logic model, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a Retirement and Savings Seminar by measuring participant (n = 54) satisfaction, financial knowledge, financial confidence, and financial behavior change compared to a similar group of 134 non-participants. Participants were very satisfied with the seminar. Their financial knowledge and confidence scores significantly increased from pretest to posttest. Financial knowledge and confidence scores improved more than the comparison group while controlling for group differences in age, income, and pretest scores. Two months later, participants were more likely than the comparison group to have adopted positive financial behaviors as measured by the Financial Preparedness for Retirement Scale. Financial educators can use this study as a model for planning, conducting, and evaluating their programs

AbstractEvaluation must take into account both executive and legislative politics and their interactions. This implies an evaluation process that can be represented as a five‐part continuum, and requires numerous departures from past thinking about evaluation. The evaluator must assume a major share of the responsibility for translating policy questions into knowledge that is credible, timely, responsive, and usable.