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Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs,〔Administration for Children and Families (2010) ''(The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation ). Chapter 2: What is program evaluation?''.〕 particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency. In both the public and private sectors, stakeholders often want to know whether the programs they are funding, implementing, voting for, receiving or objecting to are producing the intended effect. While ''program evaluation'' first focuses around this definition, important considerations often include how much the program costs per participant, how the program could be improved, whether the program is worthwhile, whether there are better alternatives, if there are ''unintended'' outcomes, and whether the program goals are appropriate and useful. Evaluators help to answer these questions, but the best way to answer the questions is for the evaluation to be a joint project between evaluators and stakeholders. The process of evaluation is considered to be a relatively recent phenomenon. However, planned social evaluation has been documented as dating as far back as 2200 BC. Evaluation became particularly relevant in the U.S. in the 1960s during the period of the Great Society social programs associated with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.〔US Department of Labor, History of the DOL (no date). The 21st century has marked a period of technological advancement across many spheres such as health, education etc. However, there are still a large number of people whose living conditions have not changed (Lusthaus, Adrien & Perstinger, 1999). Many government aided and privately funded programs are being executed on different scales, some with little or no impact on the phenomenon, other programs with greater influence affecting broader variables. Evaluation provides the basis for monitoring and reviewing programs and projects, predicting possible consequences of the program, identification of the different levels that the level may impact and documenting strengths and weaknesses of the program to improve future programs (Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman, 2004). "Chapter 6: Eras of the New Frontier and the Great Society, 1961-1969". http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/dolchp06.htm〕〔National Archives, Records of the Office of Management and Budget (1995) ''51.8.8 Records of the Office of Program Evaluation''. http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/051.html〕 Extraordinary sums were invested in social programs, but the impacts of these investments were largely unknown. Program evaluations can involve both quantitative and qualitative methods of social research. People who do program evaluation come from many different backgrounds, such as sociology, psychology, economics, social work, and public policy. Some graduate schools also have specific training programs for program evaluation. ==Doing an evaluation== Program evaluation may be conducted at several stages during a program's lifetime. Each of these stages raises different questions to be answered by the evaluator, and correspondingly different evaluation approaches are needed. Rossi, Lipsey and Freeman (2004) suggest the following kinds of assessment, which may be appropriate at these different stages: * Assessment of the need for the program * Assessment of program design and logic/theory * Assessment of how the program is being implemented (i.e., is it being implemented according to plan? Are the program's processes maximizing possible outcomes?) * Assessment of the program's outcome or impact (i.e., what it has actually achieved) * Assessment of the program's cost and efficiency 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Program evaluation」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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