Evaluation

Evaluation is the application of scientific methods to measure both change processes and the results/outcomes of change efforts.

Those most important function in Social Work, evaluation helps in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of services and intervention. effectiveness refers to answering the question of whether the services or intervention plans are accomplishing their intended goals. As a social worker we will be involved in several different types of evaluation activities including :

1. evaluating with clients, the effectiveness of specific intervention followed by the client.
2. working jointly with colleagues to evaluate the programs and services offered by the agency

therefore evaluation can be program based and practice based.

program based evaluation eg: evaluating a foster family care, case management, family counseling etc
Practice based evaluation eg : has the intervention helped client /problem (this is carried out to find out the deficiency and effectiveness of specific intervention plan in relation to specific client problem and set of objectives.)

Categories of Program Evaluation (According to Hudson and Grinell) (1)

Demand for Program evaluation

• the need for social work as a profession to prove its efficiency and effectiveness
• due to tightening economic conditions, financial constraint questions arise on money budgeted, result of program implementation, demonstration for cost effectiveness
• rising social change, unemployment, changes in family
• consumer movement- clients started to demand quality services, questioning the quality of human services professionals
• the need for development of SW as profession increased the need for evaluation to test/ research intervention for further development and improvement.

• According to various definitions Program Evaluation is : 
• systematic study of the operation of social action, treatment or intervention programs and of their impact.
• collection of methods, skills and sensitivities necessary to determine whether a social work program is needed and likely to be used, whether it is conducted as planned, and whether the agency does actually help people in need

the types of program evaluations are:

1. front end analysis including needs assessment 
2. process analysis
3. evaluability assessment
4. outcome analysis including cost benefit analysis
5. program monitoring

overview of list of steps in program evaluation  according to Michael J Smith in social workers desk reference ,pg : 758  are as follows :

1. describe the program to be studied/ social needs to be examined in need oriented study
2. define the program goals that are being evaluated, the program operations or activities that will be monitored
3. planning the study : describe what type of study will be conducted, describe the selection of sample, describe methods of data collection, develop data collection instrument
4. implementation/data collection
5. analyze the data using qualitative and quantitative techniques
6. summarize data and report on conclusions
7. feedback to make findings and make changes and improve the program

There are two types of evaluation which might occur at two stages of the process, may it be program or practice evaluation . they are :

1. Summative evaluation - refers to study of program or intervention outcome or effectiveness
2. formative evaluation - refers to study of program processes

this may be conducted at program level and practice level.

Evaluation Model- "Elements of program structure and Logic" according to Hudson and Grinell

The structure of an evaluation, whatever kind it may be involves 4 sets of variables:

• input - resources necessary to  implement the program or service like staff, money, social worker time, skill, resources necessary to carry out the intervention plan.
• activities -  refers to the things that agencies do to try to produce changes or may refer to services provided. at program level or practitioner side it may refer intake interviewing, counseling, referral and so forth.
• Outputs - refers to immediate result of the program or intervention plan. 
• overall - goal achievement

Confronting - a skill essential in evaluation

its a series of skills a social worker uses when there is assumed discrepancies in the implementation of an intervention plan. It is a gentle but firm process that is limited to the discrepancy between words and actions under consideration. Confrontational is non judgmental in that we do not go beyond the immediate discrepancy to make any type of judgement about the client. The purpose of confrontation is to identify the discrepancy as the problem for resolution in the worker client relationship, it is not an expression of anger or judgement toward the client. Once a discrepancy is noted and discussed, the client is to be involved in the resolution of this problem just as clients have been involved in all previous problem statements and planning. in some situation confrontation may result in revision of the plan/intervention.

Note : this is a wide topic to cover in a single post, however the  most important references are given in the references for detailed reading.

Reference :

Social Work Processes -Pg 691
Social Work Processes , buelah R compton pg : 658
The practice of social work, charles zastrow , pg: 253
Social Work Desk reference , Albert and Gilbert pg 757