The Evaluation Handbook
An Evaluator's Companion
1st Edition
Published on 1. July 2025
Book
Hardback
606 pages
978-1-4625-3734-1 (ISBN)
Description
This pragmatic evaluator's companion from leaders in the field provides essential guidance for designing, implementing, and managing exemplary evaluations using established and emerging methods, designs, and analyses. With contributions from skilled experts, the Handbook has a unique focus on the competencies identified by the American Evaluation Association as critical for evaluators. Balancing rigor with practical, mentor-style guidance, chapters build the reader's skills for tailoring studies creatively to address specific evaluation situations and contexts; optimizing communication and collaborative decision making; and centering equity and justice. This insider's guide is replete with detailed examples, real-world scenarios, and other helpful features, including chapter overviews and an end-of-book glossary.
Reviews / Votes
"This is the kind of book that I wish had existed when I was new to evaluation. It masterfully covers major concepts in the field, with an eye toward the practical. Many of the easy-to-understand chapters offer examples, tools, or checklists to help put the ideas into practice. This book will be a valuable addition to the required reading for students in our certificate, master's, and doctoral programs. It lives up to its promise as an evaluator's companion."--Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead, PhD, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut"This handbook will be essential reading for all my graduate students in evaluation and applied research! Each chapter is written by well-respected evaluation legends, who offer many practical tools, insights, and proven strategies for enhancing the professional practice of evaluation. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned professional, this resource will elevate your work and thinking about evaluation."--Tiffany Berry, PhD, Dean and Professor, School of Social Science, Policy, and Evaluation, Claremont Graduate University
"Framed by the American Evaluation Association's Evaluator Competencies, this comprehensive handbook unpacks key components, responsibilities, and issues that are unique to the practice of evaluation. Students, emerging evaluators, and instructors will appreciate the concrete examples, detailed illustrations, and practical advice that bring each foundational topic to life and provide expert guidance for practice across varying contexts."--Rebecca M. Teasdale, PhD, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago-
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Guilford Publications
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 255 mm
Width: 187 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
1216 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4625-3734-1 (9781462537341)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Debra J. Rog, PhD, is CEO and Founder of Evaluation Thought Partners, providing strategic and design help to a range of clients. She retired as Vice President for Social Policy and Economics Research at Westat in 2025. Throughout her career, Dr. Rog has directed numerous evaluation studies of homeless and housing interventions and systems, mental health and substance abuse interventions, public health programs and initiatives, and criminal justice initiatives, among other areas. She is a recognized expert in evaluation practice and applied research design. Dr. Rog is Associate Director for Faculty Affairs at The Evaluators' Institute and past president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). She has been recognized for her evaluation work by the National Institute of Mental Health, the AEA, the Eastern Evaluation Research Society, and the Knowledge Utilization Society.
Leonard Bickman, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Vanderbilt University and former Director of the Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement at Peabody College. Dr. Bickman is a nationally recognized leader in program evaluation and mental health services research on children and adolescents. He is past president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Dr. Bickman's contributions have been recognized with the Outstanding Evaluation Award from the AEA, the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy from the American Psychological Association, and the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among other honors.
Leonard Bickman, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Vanderbilt University and former Director of the Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement at Peabody College. Dr. Bickman is a nationally recognized leader in program evaluation and mental health services research on children and adolescents. He is past president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Dr. Bickman's contributions have been recognized with the Outstanding Evaluation Award from the AEA, the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy from the American Psychological Association, and the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among other honors.
Content
I. Foundation for the Volume
1. Setting the Stage: Supporting the Diverse Knowledge and Skills Evaluators Need in an Ever-Changing Context, Debra J. Rog & Leonard Bickman
2. Competencies for Program Evaluators, Jean A. King
II. Evaluation Theories, Foundations, Principles, and Purpose
3. Evaluative Thinking: Understanding and Applying the Foundations of Evaluation, Thomas Archibald, Jane Buckley, & Guy O'Grady Sharrock
4. Evaluation Theories: Guidance to Evaluating in Various Circumstances, Melvin M. Mark
5. Valuing in Evaluation, Emily F. Gates & Thomas A. Schwandt
6. Equity in Evaluation, Donna Durant Atkinson
7. Ethical Challenges, Michael Morris
8. Fostering Evaluation Use, Marvin C. Alkin & Anne T. Vo
9. Illuminating Evaluation's Kaleidoscope: Beautiful, Diverse, Ever-Changing Manifestations, Michael Quinn Patton
III. Answering Evaluation Questions: Designs, Methods, and Analyses
10. Collaborative, Participatory, and Empowerment Evaluation: From Community Consultation to Community Control, David Fetterman, Liliana Rodriguez-Campos, & Ann Zukoski
11. Making the Most of Evaluations: Strategies for Assessing Program Evaluability and Evaluation Feasibility, Debra J. Rog
12. Monitoring Program Implementation, Byron J. Powell, Leonard Bickman, & Kimberly E. Hoagwood
13. Examining Outcomes and Impacts: Designs and Strategies in Theory and Practice, Laura R. Peck & R. Bradley Snyder
14. Combining Costs and Results: Designs, Strategies, and Analysis, Robert Shand, A. Brooks Bowden, & Henry Levin
15. Evaluation as Storytelling: Using a Qualitative Design, Sharon Rallis & Janet Usinger
16. Planning, Data Collection, and Data Preparation for Quantitative Analysis, Erica Harbatkin, Gary T. Henry, & Lam D. Pham
17. Conducting a Quantitative Analysis, Lam D. Pham, Gary T. Henry, & Erica Harbatkin
18. Mixed Methods Design, Tarek Azzam & Natalie Jones
IV. Planning, Managing, and Implementing Evaluations
19. Designing and Planning an Evaluation: Beyond Methods, Darlene F. Russ-Eft
20. Logic Models and Program Theory, Joy Frechtling
21. Resource Planning, Leonard Bickman
22. The Role of an Internal Evaluator, Arnold Love
23. The Independent Consultant: An Insider's Guide to a Consulting Career, Gail Vallance Barrington
24. Conducting Evaluations under Budget, Time, and Data Constraints: An International Perspective, Michael Bamberger
V. Crosscutting Issues
25. Communicating with Stakeholders, Glenn O'Neil
26. Information Visualization and Evaluation, Tarek Azzam, Sarah Douville, Ciara Knight, Piper Grandjean Targos, & Natalie Jones
27. Exemplary Evaluations in a Multicultural World, Stewart I. Donaldson
Glossary
Author Index
Subject Index
Contributors
1. Setting the Stage: Supporting the Diverse Knowledge and Skills Evaluators Need in an Ever-Changing Context, Debra J. Rog & Leonard Bickman
2. Competencies for Program Evaluators, Jean A. King
II. Evaluation Theories, Foundations, Principles, and Purpose
3. Evaluative Thinking: Understanding and Applying the Foundations of Evaluation, Thomas Archibald, Jane Buckley, & Guy O'Grady Sharrock
4. Evaluation Theories: Guidance to Evaluating in Various Circumstances, Melvin M. Mark
5. Valuing in Evaluation, Emily F. Gates & Thomas A. Schwandt
6. Equity in Evaluation, Donna Durant Atkinson
7. Ethical Challenges, Michael Morris
8. Fostering Evaluation Use, Marvin C. Alkin & Anne T. Vo
9. Illuminating Evaluation's Kaleidoscope: Beautiful, Diverse, Ever-Changing Manifestations, Michael Quinn Patton
III. Answering Evaluation Questions: Designs, Methods, and Analyses
10. Collaborative, Participatory, and Empowerment Evaluation: From Community Consultation to Community Control, David Fetterman, Liliana Rodriguez-Campos, & Ann Zukoski
11. Making the Most of Evaluations: Strategies for Assessing Program Evaluability and Evaluation Feasibility, Debra J. Rog
12. Monitoring Program Implementation, Byron J. Powell, Leonard Bickman, & Kimberly E. Hoagwood
13. Examining Outcomes and Impacts: Designs and Strategies in Theory and Practice, Laura R. Peck & R. Bradley Snyder
14. Combining Costs and Results: Designs, Strategies, and Analysis, Robert Shand, A. Brooks Bowden, & Henry Levin
15. Evaluation as Storytelling: Using a Qualitative Design, Sharon Rallis & Janet Usinger
16. Planning, Data Collection, and Data Preparation for Quantitative Analysis, Erica Harbatkin, Gary T. Henry, & Lam D. Pham
17. Conducting a Quantitative Analysis, Lam D. Pham, Gary T. Henry, & Erica Harbatkin
18. Mixed Methods Design, Tarek Azzam & Natalie Jones
IV. Planning, Managing, and Implementing Evaluations
19. Designing and Planning an Evaluation: Beyond Methods, Darlene F. Russ-Eft
20. Logic Models and Program Theory, Joy Frechtling
21. Resource Planning, Leonard Bickman
22. The Role of an Internal Evaluator, Arnold Love
23. The Independent Consultant: An Insider's Guide to a Consulting Career, Gail Vallance Barrington
24. Conducting Evaluations under Budget, Time, and Data Constraints: An International Perspective, Michael Bamberger
V. Crosscutting Issues
25. Communicating with Stakeholders, Glenn O'Neil
26. Information Visualization and Evaluation, Tarek Azzam, Sarah Douville, Ciara Knight, Piper Grandjean Targos, & Natalie Jones
27. Exemplary Evaluations in a Multicultural World, Stewart I. Donaldson
Glossary
Author Index
Subject Index
Contributors