This text is a practical overview of evaluation in social work by a distinguished professor who has also been an evaluator and an agency administrator. This new text covers traditional evaluation content, including single subject design and evaluation of one's own practice, the use of group research designs for evaluation practice, needs assessment, and evaluation ethics. The text also covers unique subjects, including chapters on licensing, accreditation, auditing, accounting, the use of indicator “score cards,” and other methods that social work administrators and practitioners must often address. The book includes examples of evaluations conducted by organizations such as the Manpower Development Research Corporation and the Urban Institute, which are major forces in public policy decisions but which have not been extensively covered in the social work literature.

Table of Contents:
Chapters conclude with “Conclusion” and “Questions for Further Study.” Preface. Acknowledgements. I.THE CONTEXT OF EVALUATION IN SOCIAL WORK. 1.Introduction—Accountability and Evaluation in Social Work. Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. Meeting the Demands of Funding Organizations. Purpose and Scope of This Book. Historical Origins of Evaluation. External and Academic Critics of Social Work. Internal Critics of Social Work. Implications for the Study of Evaluation. Types and Methods of Evaluation. 2. The Administration and Ethics of Program Evaluation. The Business of Evaluation. Evaluation Ethics. Minority Issues and Evaluation. Technology Ethics. Types of Evaluations and Evaluators. 3. Approaches to Program Evaluation. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Evaluation. Cost-Benefit Analysis and Unintended Consequences. Satisfaction Studies. Needs Assessment. Single Subject Design. Experimental Approaches and Models. Utilization-Focused Evaluation: Michael Quinn Patton. Fraud and Abuse Detection. Design Evaluation. Case Studies. Journalistic Evaluations. II. CLASSIC EVALUATION PROCESSES FOR SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS. 4. Accounting, Auditing, and Budgeting. The Importance of Financial Evaluations. Innumeracy—Number Illiteracy. Budgets. Accounting. Auditing. 5. Licensing of Social Work Agencies and Social Workers. Licensing of Group Care Facilities. Licensing Bodies. Licensing of Individual Practitioners. 6. Accreditation of Social Work Programs. Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes. Focus on Outputs. Voluntary Nature of Accreditation. How Accreditation Works. Agency Accreditation. Educational Accreditation. III. INTERNAL EVALUATIONS IN SOCIAL WORK. 7. Program Monitoring and Quality Control. Monitoring. Quality Control and Quality Assurance. 8. Single Subject Designs. Does Social Work Work? The A-B Design. Time Series Design and Statistics. Instruments and Scales. Graphics and Statistics. Assessment Scales. 9. Needs Assessment and Satisfaction Studies. Needs Assessment. Satisfaction Studies. IV. RESEARCH METHODS AND EVALUATION CONCEPTS. 10.Experimental Research Designs in Evaluation, by Dr. Michelle Mohr Carney (University of South Carolina, College of Social Work). The Evaluation Continuum. Elements of a Strong Program Evaluation. Threats to Internal Validity. External Validity. Research Designs. 11. Program Development, Evaluation, and Accountability, by Dr. Abraham Wandersman (University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology). It Sounded Like a Good Idea, but Is It Really Working? The Logic of Program Evaluation. A Four-Step Model of Program Evaluation. Examining Mentoring from a Program Evaluation Perspective. Comprehensive Quality Programming: Nine Essential Strategies for Implementing Successful Programs. Using CQP Strategies to Continuously Improve Programs. Examples of CQP in Action. 12. Outcome Measures and Indicators. Assessment and Evaluation Tools. The United Way Outcomes Measurement Approach. 13. Evaluating Large Governemnt Programs by Dr. Larry Nackerud (University of Georgia, School of Social Work). Evaluation Pitfalls. Head Start, Model Cities, and Intensive Family Preservation Programs. Welfare Reform in Georgia. 14. Examples of Program Evaluations. Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation. American Evaluation Assoiciation. Personal Encounters with Program Evaluation. References. Appendix. Index.