scholarly journals Program Evaluation in Medical Education: An Overview of the Utilization-focused Approach

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Vassar ◽  
Denna L. Wheeler ◽  
Machelle Davison ◽  
Johnathan Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Personal Factor ◽  
Utilization Focused

Medical school administrators, educators, and other key personnel must often make difficult choices regarding the creation, retention, modification, or termination of the various programs that take place at their institutions. Program evaluation is a data-driven strategy to aide decision-makers in determining the most appropriate outcome for programs within their purview. The purpose of this brief article is to describe one program evaluation model, the utilization-focused approach. In particular, we address the focus of this model, the personal factor, the role of the evaluator, and the evaluation process. Based on the flexibility of this model as well as its focus on stakeholder involvement, we encourage readers to consider the utilization-focused approach when evaluating programs.

Gifted Program Evaluation: Catalyst for Change or Keeper of the Culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-204
Author(s):  
Janice I. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Gifted Education ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Gifted Program ◽  
Program Evaluations ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Educational Role

This article presents a view of barriers to effective gifted program evaluation resulting from ineffective tools for measuring growth in gifted students and the human barriers confounding the evaluation process. The role of advocacy in the design, implementation, and utilization of evaluation studies is examined. Long held beliefs and biases related to gifted education are recognized as influencing program evaluations. The recognition of the strengths and challenges inherent in the educational role of specific stakeholder groups is presented. Suggestions for developing an emerging cadre of advocates for gifted education are detailed.

scholarly journals Examining stakeholder involvement in the evaluation process for program improvement

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 179-191
Author(s):  
Edwin Ochieng Okul ◽  
Raphael Ondeko Nyonje
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Project Staff ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Basic Characteristics ◽  
Level Of Significance

The results of an evaluation should be used for the envisioned goal and the evaluation process and/or outcomes should be used in practice and decision making. This article presents research whose objective was to establish the extent to which stakeholder involvement in evaluations impacts the utilization of evaluation findings for program improvement. Guided by the pragmatic paradigm and supported by the Utilization-Focused Evaluation Model and Knowledge Use Theory, the researchers assumed a descriptive and correlational design using mixed methods. The sample size for this study was 232 project staff from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kisumu Central Sub-County, Kenya. To analyze qualitative data, the open-ended responses from key informant interviews were recorded and coded appropriately for further analysis for themes through content analysis and comparative analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the basic characteristics of the quantitative data. To ensure the validity and reliability of the research instruments, pilot testing was conducted. Cronbach’s alpha at α = 0.908 was attained as the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments. Tests of statistical assumptions were carried out before data analysis to avoid invalidation. A hypothesis was tested at the α = .05 level of significance and was rejected. The findings demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between stakeholder involvement in evaluations and the utilization of evaluation results. This research, therefore, reinforces literature and helps to understand the ways in which stakeholder involvement in evaluations influences the utilization of evaluation results. It informs the evaluation field of study, fills gaps in the evaluation use literature, and contributes to the appreciation of factors that predict and enhance the utilization of evaluation results

scholarly journals Military Workforce Analytics

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Straver
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Military Organizations ◽  
Hierarchical Nature ◽  
Future Demands ◽  
Planning Problems

AbstractAs a consequence of the closed, hierarchical nature of military organizations, good planning is key to ensuring that a military workforce will be well-situated to meet future demands. This chapter explores the role of data-driven decision support (referred to as analytics) in military workforce planning. As an applied research field, analytics aims to provide actionable insights and practical solutions to questions posed by decision-makers. Since data underlie all analytics, this chapter touches on the challenges of data-related issues such as accessibility, integration, and completeness, highlighting the importance of understanding the data and the context around it. Next, several areas where analytics are used to solve military workforce planning problems are discussed. This will give the reader a sense of the breadth of the domain, as well as the various approaches that can be employed by a practitioner.

scholarly journals Investigating the role of contextual factors in effectively executing communication evaluation and measurement

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Romenti ◽  
Grazia Murtarelli ◽  
Angelo Miglietta ◽  
Anne Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Professional Perspective ◽  
And Performance

PurposeEvaluation and measurement (E&M) remains a critical and debated topic among communication scholars and practice. Substantial research and professional efforts have been devoted to discussing what should be measured and which methods should be applied. Most of the E&M models seem to carry a positivist imprint. But, in real-life, organizations could not have clear aims, enough resources, or adequate informative systems to support E&M. Moreover, several contextual factors could affect the implementation of E&M management processes. The communication literature rarely highlights these factors. To fulfill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to theorize the contextual factors relevant to the management of the evaluation process.Design/methodology/approachA scoping literature review was carried out exploring the role of contextual factors and impact of contextual factors on E&M management processes. More specifically, the review examines the contribution provided by program evaluation and performance measurement (PM) fields of research.FindingsThe paper provides a scoping review of program evaluation and PM approaches. Additionally, it explains how both streams of thought argued the importance of contextual factors, such as organizational, relational, cultural and communicative factors, for the success of any evaluation processes. The study underlined that the main evaluation models used in the field of communication have overlooked these studies and put on evidence the role of contextual factors in effectively executing communication E&M.Originality/valueThe paper enriches the dominant rationale concerning the E&M management processes by incorporating literature on: program evaluation; and PM. The analysis could provide useful insights also from a professional perspective, by helping practitioners for a contextual assessment of strategic communication programs and activities.

scholarly journals Research on Utility Evaluation of Grid Investment considering Risk Preference of Decision-Makers

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Hongliang Wu ◽  
Daoxin Peng ◽  
Ling Wang
Keyword(s):  
Index System ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Risk Preference ◽  
System Optimization ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Evaluation Index System ◽  
Evaluation Index ◽  
Risk Appetite ◽  
Utility Evaluation ◽  
The Index System

Effectiveness evaluations are one of the important ways to guide grid investment and to improve investment efficiency. Improving the effectiveness of grid investment evaluations is studied based on the optimization of the investment evaluation index system and the utility evaluation model. The index system is optimized by establishing an evaluation index system of grid investment effectiveness, considering the redundancy between the indices, and constructing an ISM-DEA model. The utility function model was introduced to fully consider the different risk appetites of decision-makers, and a utility evaluation model that takes risk appetite into account was established. An improved weight integration model based on multiobjective optimization was established by considering the minimum deviation and the trend-optimal objective function when setting the index weights. The calculation results show that the feasibility of the index system optimization model and utility evaluation model constructed in this study is verified under the premise of satisfying the assumptions. By adjusting the risk preference coefficient of decision-makers, the dynamic optimization of the grid investment utility evaluation results can be realized.

scholarly journals Shopping Centres, Cycling Accessibility and Planning—The Case of Nova Lund in Sweden

Urban Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Till Koglin ◽  
Lucas Glasare
Keyword(s):  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Shopping Centre ◽  
The Past ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
The Subject

This paper evaluates the history and cycling accessibility of Nova, a shopping centre established in Lund, Sweden, in 2002. The current situation was also analysed through observation and a literature review. Moreover, the study conducted a closer analysis of the history and role of the municipality based on further literature study and interviews with officials. The conclusion of the analysis indicates poor and unsafe bikeways caused by conflicts of interest between politicians, officials, landowners and the general public. It also depicts a situation in which the municipality’s master plan has been ignored, and, in contrast to the local goals, cycling accessibility at Nova has seen no significant improvement since the shopping centre was first established. The reasons for this, arguably, are a relatively low budget for bikeway improvements in the municipality, as well as a situation in which decision-makers have stopped approaching the subject, as a result of the long and often boisterous conflicts it has created in the past. Lastly, it must be noted that it is easy to regard the whole process of Nova, from its establishment to the current situation, as being symptomatic of the power structures between drivers and cyclists that still affect decision-makers at all levels.

scholarly journals Cultural and Institutional Issues in ACP for Care Home Residents: Perspectives of Loved Ones

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 754-754
Author(s):  
Brian de Vries ◽  
Gloria Gutman ◽  
Helen Kwan ◽  
Katrina Jang ◽  
Shimae Soheilipour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Traditional Family ◽  
Institutional Issues ◽  
Bisexual And Transgender ◽  
Advance Care

Abstract Focus groups were held with family/decision makers of residents in an exclusively Chinese (EC; N=7) and a multi-ethnic (ME; N=8) care home, as well as South Asian (SA; n = 5) and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender caregivers (LGBT; n = 5) who had/have a loved one in a care home. Shared themes across groups included the role of the care home in Advance Care Planning (ACP) discussions, the timing of such discussions (i.e., at admission), and the extent to which another person was available and appropriate for such discussions. Issues unique to groups included superstition and the equation of ACP with funeral planning (EC), family history and regrets about not having planned (ME), gender differences and the need for education about ACP (SA) and the absence of traditional family among LGBT older adults. These themes highlight the challenges in ACP among diverse populations and the need for targeted interventions.

scholarly journals Up to No Good? Gender, Social Impact Work, and Employee Promotions

2021 ◽  
pp. 000183922110206
Author(s):  
Christiane Bode ◽  
Michelle Rogan ◽  
Jasjit Singh
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Male Gender ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Gender Beliefs ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Male Gender Role ◽  
Promotion Rates ◽  
Vignette Experiment

Firms increasingly offer employees the opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored social impact initiatives expected to benefit the firm and employees. We argue that participation in such initiatives hinders employees’ advancement in their firms by reducing others’ perceptions of their fit and commitment. Because social impact work is more congruent with female than male gender role stereotypes, promotion rates will be lower for participating men, and male evaluators will be less likely than female evaluators to recommend promotion for male participants. Using panel data on 1,379 employees of a consulting firm, we find significantly lower promotion rates for male participants relative to female participants, female non-participants, and male non-participants. A vignette experiment involving 893 managers shows that lower promotion rates are due to lower perceptions of fit, but not commitment, and greater bias against male participants by male evaluators. Taken together, the results of the two studies suggest that the negative effect of participation on promotion is conditional upon participant and evaluator gender, underscoring the role of gender in evaluation of social impact work. In settings in which decision makers are predominately male, gender beliefs may limit male employees’ latitude to contribute to the firm’s social impact agenda.

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