In this article, the term logic model is used to refer to the summarized theory of how the intervention works usually in diagrammatic form and programme theory evaluation is used for the process of developing a logic model and using this in some way in an evaluation. Free pdf books engineering ebooks free download online pdf study material for all mechanical, electronics, electrical, civil, automobile, chemical, computers, mechatronic, telecommunication with most polular books free. This document is neither an exhaustive training program in theory based evaluation nor a. Theorybased evaluation and types of complexity ulg. Multiple terms have been integrated into discussions of program theory development and evaluation including. A theorybased evaluation is usually based on an explicit theory of change or logic modelthat explains the theory of a development intervention.
We mean rather, one based on a theory about how a program operates. Theory based evaluation has recently gained increased academic interest in evaluation literature. This approach to evaluation focuses on theoretical rather than methodological issues. The general application of a variety of different approaches is discussed along with some advice on the potential applications for government agencies. In laymans terms, it is a particular way of thinking about and doing an evaluation.
In particular, it need not assume simple linear causeandeffect relationships. If you would like to comment or contribute to the document, please feel. Article information, pdf download for theory based evaluation in practice, open epub. Several criteria guide decisions about where to put our evaluation dollars, including the. This approach to evaluation seeks explanation and understanding about how and why projects work or not in specific contexts, rather than pragmatic.
Theory based evaluation seminar european commission. Tbe tools for impact evaluation of sd and governance programmes 4. L l f h d l level of theory development the level which a theory reaches. Applying program theorydriven approach to design and. The book begins with an overview of the evaluation field and program evaluation standards, and proceeds to cover the most widely used evaluation approaches. Genderbased violence research, monitoring, and evaluation. Therefore i would like to collect more information on the issue and about its possible practical implementation.
Mar 01, 1996 thus, by a theorybased evaluation, we do not mean an evaluation based on a theory about evaluation. Theorybased evaluation and types of complexity nicoletta stame. Evaluation theory as a concept components of a meaningful evaluation theory alkins evaluation theory tree sample evaluation theories program theory that brings theory to life in evaluations 10 the concept of evaluation theory and so we begin. Pdf theory based evaluations have helped open the black box of. Theorybased evaluation has similarities to the logframe approach but allows a much more indepth understanding of the workings of a program or activitythe program theory or program logic. Purchase of the selected original works cofinanced from the. The book begins with an overview of the evaluation field and program evaluation standards, and proceeds to cover the most widely used evaluation. Past, present, and future weiss 1997 new directions for evaluation wiley online library. Does theory based evaluation provide an analytical tool for carrying out the social and political analysis that should underpin impact evaluation of social development and governance programmes. Using theorybased evaluation to build evidencebased. The theory of change toc approach was developed by the roundtable on community change aspen institute, usa to evaluate complex community based change interventions 6. Approaches, tor and methods for impact evaluation interact.
Program theory and logic models evaluation resources from wilder research. All develop a theory of change for the intervention and then verify the extent to which the theory matches what is observed. In the field of health policy and management, papers include 26,27 and 28. In 1997 weiss pointed to theory based evaluation being mostly used in the areas of health promotion and risk. An introduction to set theory university of toronto. Pdf the development of theorydriven evaluation in the. Theory based evaluations have helped open the black box of programmes. Approaches and methods of theory based impact evaluation. Theorybased evaluation in complex environments polish agency. Chapter three notes, theory based evaluation should not be seen simply as a replacement for experimental and quasi. How the evaluation framework was developed the evaluation approach described in this paper is rooted in the tradition of theory based approaches to complex community based initiatives see for example30,31. Evaluation theory, models, and applications, 2nd edition. In 20 short chapters the book provides a highly readable and comprehensive overview of core theoretical frameworks ranging from mainstream realism and liberalism all the way to queer theory and critical geography.
Does the literature on theory based evaluation suggest a common and clearly defined approach to evaluation and impact evaluation. Also, evaluation practitioners are increasingly engaged in verifying and reformulating program theories in their evaluations. Further, the organizations use the logic model template for their projects, programs, and operations. The basic idea is to use the programs rationale or theory as the basis of an evaluation to understand the programs development and impact smith, 1994, p. Theory based evaluation tbe explores the how and why of program. Theory driven evaluation involves the construction of a detailed. Ifau theorybased evaluation of the curriculum lgr 11 3. Evaluations based on qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods. Correspondence open access how to develop a theorydriven. Christie over the past thirty years eminent evaluation theorists have appealed for increased empirical knowledge of evaluation, based on the notion that such knowledge is necessary to explain the nature of evaluation practice for example, cousins and earl, 1999. A theorybased evaluation of a program is one in which the selection of program features to evaluate is determined by an explicit conceptualization of the program in terms of a theory, a theory which attempts to explain how the program produces the desired effects.
This resource guide discusses program theory and logic models. Pdf the theory based evaluation is one of the most used directions in evaluation, having the capacity to identify the. A wealth of approaches and an untapped potential marielle riche european commissioni have w e got closer t o ident if yi ng the ge nerati ve mechani sms that produce an outcom e f or th e lagging regi ons of t he. Pdf theorybased evaluations have helped open the black box of. A theory based evaluation is usually based on an explicit theory of change or logic model that explains the theory of a development intervention. The evaluation is designed to test the theory to see if it holds true. Overview there is a wealth of literature available on theory based evaluation and impact evaluation. Correspondence open access how to develop a theory. Theory based evaluation european commission europa eu. Program theory and logic models 1 wilder research, august 2009 wilder research. Pdf theory analysis and evaluation evaluation joyann. Download limit exceeded you have exceeded your daily download allowance.
Programs are usually very complex and frequently need effective program theory for evaluation. All human service programs are designed to make a difference in the lives of people or to improve our society. Aug 01, 2000 theorybased evaluation tbe explores the how and why of program success or failure. The past the concept of theory based evaluation has been around for over twentyfive years. An account is offered of the evolution of this persuasion, through the works of chen and rossi, weiss, and pawson and tilley. Unlimited viewing of the articlechapter pdf and any associated supplements and figures. For instance, if the npm based approach to implementing capacitybuilding inter ventions was to be transformed into the governance approach that favors the involvement of different stakeholders within a capacitybuilding network, a different comprehensive program theory and a new causal model would be required for theory based evaluation and. Based upon the pilot study, a national program was initiated.
Since the 1990s, many works have refined the theory based approach dressing it up. Article information, pdf download for theory based evaluation and types of. It is argued that the case for theory based evaluation extends beyond criticism of the traditional approach to develop evaluation theory and practice from the perspective of critical realism. This article examines six published papers of tbes. Using theories of change for development, research and evaluation. However, because program evaluation builds on many other disciplines e. Pdf clarifying the theorybased evaluation researchgate. This web page from treasury board of canada secretariat provides an outline of some of the key concepts of theory based approaches to evaluation. There is a wealth of literature available on theory based evaluation and impact evaluation tbe, but experts disagree on whether tbe is a common and clearly defined approach. Past, present, and future rog, debra j fournier, deborah 19971201 00. The article shows that the theorybased evaluation method has benefits over other expost evaluation methods that include.
You are permitted to print or download extracts from this material for your personal use. Furthermore, 7 argues that sometimes referred to as program logic or theory of change it points to a variety of. The term gender based violence is primarily used to underscore the fact that structural, gender. We cannot evaluate everything, so we choose strategically. Some think a common conceptual and operational understanding has been elusive, while others point to a completely consistent basic concept regardless of slight. Gender based violence interventions in humanitarian action, the term refers to. A logic model template is a visual representation of a project or program resources, activities, shortterm and longterm goals. Theory based stakeholder evaluation tse, instead of fusing the theories of different stake holders into a single unified theory, keeps the program theories of diverse stakeholder groups sepa rate from each other and from the program theory embedded in the institutionalized intervention.
Theory based evaluation was identified as one of the main. Because this volume is intended to demonstrate the diversity of practice, we have used a broad definition of program theory evaluation. Howard white identifies six principles for the successful application of the approach mapping out the causal chain programme theory, understanding the context, anticipating heterogeneity, rigorous evaluation of impact using a credible counterfactual, rigorous factual analysis and using mixed methods. Evaluators are writing about it, and evaluations structured around theory are beginning to appear in numbers in the literature. Theory based impact evaluation is not commonly used commonly in structural funds in hungary yet. Theory based methods take many forms and are referred to in a variety of ways for example program theory, implementation theory and realistic evaluation, but usually incorporate a theory of change in some form. This report presents and describes an evaluation project of the most recent swedish curriculum reform, curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the recreation centrelgr 11. Whilst there are differences between theory based approaches, stame theory. Evaluation theory, models, and applications, 2nd edition wiley. Developing a framework for a program theorybased approach to.
In the springsummer 1996 issue evaluation practice published two early paperexcerpt from my 1972 book evaluation research and fitzgibbon and morris 1975along with a historical introduction by blaine worthen 1996. Program theory and the evaluation of a program s theory have gained interest in the evaluation field. Download fulltext pdf download fulltext pdf read fulltext. Download pdf theory and treatment planning in family. Theory driven evaluation methods branch of theory tree developed by sociologists huey chen and his advisor, peter rossi chens book published in 1990 normative theory prescriptive, what should be causative theory descriptive, what is research based. The use of theory driven evaluation is an emerging practice in the militaryan aspect generally unknown in the civilian. The golden standard evaluation reference text now in its second edition, evaluation theory, models, and applications is the vital text on evaluation models, perfect for classroom use as a textbook, and as a professional evaluation reference. Rogers theory based evaluation has developed significantly since carol weisss chapter was published ten years ago. Approaches include theory based evaluation weiss, 1995, 2000, theory driven evaluation chen, 1990, and contribution analysis mayne, 2001. According to the canadian government 2012, theory based evaluation is an approach to evaluation i. A second characteristic of theory based evaluation is a better understanding of the underlying causal mechanisms. However, there are considerable challenges to program theory and not all evaluators are convinced it is useful 7.
In cflat, we have been using theory based approaches since 2000. Now in its second edition, evaluation theory, models, and applications is the vital text on evaluation models, perfect for classroom use as a textbook, and as a professional evaluation reference. If you would like to comment or contribute to the document, please feel free. Being able to judge which parts of the planned impact evaluation are suitable for tbie and how best to plan for and design a tbie. Theory based evaluation, which means examining the assumptions underlying the causal chain from inputs to outcomes and impact, is a well established approach see, for example, weiss 1998, and carvalho and white, 2004, for an application in a development setting. If it does, the task of the evaluator is to produce a plausible case, with. Although elementary set theory is wellknown and straightforward, the modern subject, axiomatic set theory, is both conceptually more di. Assure an evaluation evaluates the right thing assure an evaluation evaluates the right thing 3. Using programme theory to evaluate complicated and complex. Using programme theory to evaluate complicated and. Theory based stakeholder evaluation tse, instead of fusing the theories of different stakeholders into a single unified theory, keeps the program theories of diverse stakeholder groups separate from each other and from the program theory embedded in the institutionalized intervention.
Pdf ascertaining causality in theorybased evaluation e. If it does, the task of the evaluator is to produce a plausible case, with evidence, that shows what has. Advocates of tbe claim that it produces information unavailable in traditional process and outcome studies. The answer to t hi s last quest io n in t he opinion of t he author is a r esounding no. Theorybased evaluation has similarities to the logframe approach but allows a. Mostly applied to programme evaluation, it seeks to establish. The theorybased policy evaluation method applied to the expost. It is a way of structuring and undertaking analysis in an evaluation. Pinpoint the strengths or weaknesses of a causal pinpoint the strengths or weaknesses of a causal chain 2. Enhance stakeholdersenhance stakeholders consensus on program theoryconsensus on program theory 4.
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