North Carolina Smart Start: The influence of the funder -fundee relationship on evaluation utilization.

摘要

Nonprofit social service delivery organizations perform their work in a complex and ever-changing environment. It is within this setting that funding organizations are requiring higher levels of accountability and concrete proof of results. Evaluation is seen as a tool that can serve both of these purposes. However, research suggests that it may not be living up to these lofty goals. When evaluation is mandated by a funding organization, it is not clear how the nature of this interorganizational relationship influences the evaluation process and the eventual manner in which the findings are utilized. Some propose that funder required evaluations inherently place the purposes of accountability and program improvement at odds. Others advocate for increased use of evaluation in funding decisions, making it the ultimate arbitrator of accountability. Additionally, there are those who argue for increased levels of cooperation and collaboration among organizations, creating an evaluation environment that improves programs and fosters an atmosphere of organizational learning. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the funder-fundee relationship affects evaluation utilization.;To accomplish this purpose the study collected data on the North Carolina Smart Start initiative, a statewide network of nonprofit and governmental organizations that provide local services to children under the age of six and their families. Evaluation has been a key component of the initiative since the North Carolina legislature authorized its creation in 1993. Data was collected via an online survey. Every respondent was involved with an organization that received Smart Start funding in the ’06-’07 fiscal year, and consequently was required to conduct an evaluation.;The findings of this study indicate that the funder-fundee relationship has an indirect affect on evaluation use. The nature of the funder-fundee relationship directly influences the evaluation process and the individuals involved, leading to an evaluation that produces information that is perceived as more relevant by potential users. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of utilization of evaluation findings.