Evaluation Research & Impact Assessment Flashcards

In empowerment evaluation, the evaluator's primary role is to:

Answer: Build stakeholder capacity to conduct and use evaluation themselves

Empowerment evaluation (Fetterman) aims to build stakeholder self-evaluation capacity and program self-determination.

Dose-response analysis in program evaluation examines:

Answer: Whether greater levels of program exposure are associated with larger outcomes

Dose-response analysis tests whether participants with higher engagement or exposure show proportionally better outcomes.

A culturally responsive evaluation approach requires evaluators to:

Answer: Adapt methods and interpretive frameworks to reflect the culture of program participants

Culturally responsive evaluation integrates cultural context into all phases, from design through interpretation.

Which of the following best describes 'theory failure' as a cause of program ineffectiveness?

Answer: The program's underlying assumptions about how change occurs were incorrect

Theory failure means the program's causal assumptions were flawed, so even perfect implementation would not produce the intended outcomes.

In a participatory action research (PAR) evaluation, community members are expected to:

Answer: Collaborate as co-researchers in designing, conducting, and using the evaluation

PAR integrates community members as active co-researchers who shape the entire evaluation process.

The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation identifies 'utility' standards to ensure that:

Answer: Evaluations serve the information needs of intended users

Utility standards focus on making evaluations relevant, timely, and useful to the people who need the information.

When an evaluator observes the 'program staff effect,' they are noting that:

Answer: Staff enthusiasm and belief in the program may inflate perceived outcomes

Staff who believe strongly in a program may unconsciously influence participant responses or outcome measurements, biasing results.