Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation

by Joseph S. Wholey (Editor), Harry P. Hatry (Editor), Kathryn E. Newcomer (Editor)

Experts in the field of program evaluation outline efficient and economical methods of assessing program results and identifying ways to improve program performance. Written for managers, administrators, and educators in nonprofit, government, and private institutions, this practical guide demystifies the assessment process. From simple evaluations to more thorough examinations, the authors describe the nuts-and-bolts of how to create an evaluation design and how to collect and analyze data in a way that will result in low cost and successful evaluations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Research, Research Methods

656 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 1994

Reviews

[fc7reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was required reading for a course. I found it dry and did not enjoy reading it. I cannot deny, however, that it left me with a much better grasp on and knowledge of the topic of program evaluation.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this during my masters program, and it was pretty foundational for me, in understanding program evaluation. A few years later I would study under Newcomer (one of the authors), and apply a lot of this knowledge to my work at GAO.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very thorough and gives just about all the information you could need related to program evaluation. It wasn't the right choice for my course this semester though, as it was a bit overwhelming for my students to get through.

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really useful and relevant if you are into evaluation! I would have appreciated more cases or practical applications, but I made it through this thing (and the class it was for, almost) and that’s what matters.

Thank you for your service toward my reading goal 🫡

[Katterley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me some great ideas, and really helped me expand and solidify ideas that I already had. I believe what I've learned will help me write better grants as well as develop better program evaluations. I'm excited about the possibilities!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource if you are a program evaluator or need find one or choose from several RFPs.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dry but practical information on evaluating a program.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

With a title like that it has to be...nope, it's still about program evaluation.