“nothing to something” situation where the aim of the evaluation is to provide findings to aid decision-making about a new program, one being developed from scratch.

a program exists but there is a need for major review, with the likelihood that this existing program will be altered radically or even replaced by a new more appropriate one.

provide information in order to assist decisions about a future or projected program.

known as ”up-front” undertaken before policies and programs are planned and implemented.

Evaluation for Development

the extent of the need among a defined population for a program in a given area of provision;

sythesising what is known in the existing research and related literature about an identified issue or problem;

Critically reviewing ways in which an identified issue or problem has been solved through programs mounted in other locations.

provide information in order to assist decisions about a future or projected program.

known as ”up-front” undertaken before policies and programs are planned and implemented.

Evaluation for Development

Needs assessment Research review Review of examplary practice

(establishment of benchmarks)

A systematic set of procedures undertaken for the purpose of setting priorities and making decisions about program or organizational improvements and allocation of resources.

The priorities are based on identified needs.

(Witkin & Altschuld, 1995)

Synthesize research relevant to a particular issue or problem which is the target of future policy or program development

Predicted on the assumption that “funded knowledge”, the results of relevant pure and applied prior research, should be taken into account when planning programs.

1. Formulating the area of inquiry;2. Collecting data;3. Evaluating the data;4. Analysis, interpretation, and integration;5. Presenting the findings.

Benchmarking – is the search for best practices that can be applied with a view to achieving improved performance.

- systematic and continuous process of measuring and comparing an organization’s business processes against those of leaders anywhere in the world, to gain information which will help drive continuous improvement (Sharp, 1994)

A key is to locate practitioners who have shown that their practice has a superior edge in the in the provision of services or products in a given area.

Who is doing best? How do they do it? How well are we doing relative to the best? How good do we want to be, relative to the

best?

The targeted identification of best practice and a consideration of whether this practice applies to the organization;

A thorough, sustained program of external analysis and investigation;

The ability to reduce the findings of best practice to indicators which are meaningful as a management tool within the organization.