Successful Program Evaluation: Using Program Evaluation for Accountability

by Richard Hoefer

This paper examines the status of the use of program evaluation in human services nonprofits in Dallas, Texas, USA area. Using methodology and questions similar to Hoefer (2000) and comparing answers over time, the results indicate that attitudes and use of program evaluation to ensure program accountability is increasing. Despite improvement, agencies fall short in some areas, particularly in terms of communicating results to persons outside the agency.Readers can expect to learn the importance of using program evaluation for stakeholder accountability and four criteria to assess whether a nonprofit is using evaluation to promote program accountability to stakeholders such as funders, staff, the community and clients.Readers will also learn the answers to these research 1. What are nonprofit human services agencies in the Dallas, Texas area doing in terms of program evaluation? Are they conducting evaluations, and, if so, what types, using which designs and data sources, and for what purposes?2. How do these practices compare with data collected in 1999?3. What are the attitudes about program evaluation currently, and compared to 1999? 4. Are there differences between agency use of program evaluation or other accountability strategies, depending on the source of funding?This empirical information is then used to address three more theoretical 1. Are program evaluations being used to promote accountability more now than in 1999?2. What are the reasons for any changes seen in the two data collection times?3. How do nonprofit leaders choose and implement accountability practices as they attempt to balance the multiple demands on their agencies?

26 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2012

About the author

Richard Alan Hoefer