PROGRAM EVALUATION IN THE HUMAN SERVICES SECTOR: AN INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE WIDENING PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION PROGRAM UK

摘要

This paper will initially describe and discuss the development and growth of the programrnevaluation discipline with particular reference to the public sector. This initial objectivernwill be achieved by discussing the physical and attitudinal changes that have occurredrnbetween the suppliers and recipients of human services during the last few decades. Thisrnwill be followed by a discussion of the general aims of program evaluation as seen fromrnseveral viewpoints, there are several drivers for program evaluation cited in the literature,rnthis paper will concentrate on value for money and accountability. Different perspectivesrnfor viewing programs of change and thus evaluation of change will be discussed; House’srnperspective will be central to this section and a variation of his model will be presented.rnFinally a large program of change recently embarked upon by the current UKrngovernment, widening participation within the education sector, will be discussed withrnreference to the earlier sections.rnThe education sector forms the nucleus of the debate throughout this paper; a far-reachingrnchange in attitude within the UK society will also be discussed. The UK has traditionallyrnbeen twenty or so years behind the USA in terms of trends and attitudes; this includesrnboth good and bad trends. This is the case in the area of evaluation within human servicesrnthe last decade has seen dramatic changes in the public attitude towards the professionsrnthat supply these services. Quality of service provided is no longer accepted as a faternacompli, the acceptance that well meaning individuals or groups who institute a newrnhealth, education, training, rehabilitation, or other services actually help people. Today nornprofessional is above being held accountable; the “right” of professionals to makernunchallenged judgments has been curtailed. Government administrators, teachers,rnmedical-care providers, legal professionals, social service workers, military officers, andrneven the clergy are among those whose performance is now being more closely analysed.