Laura C. Leviton

Laura Kettel Khan

Nicola Dawkins

The rationale, application, and outcomes of the Systemic Screening and Assessment (SSA) Method, an innovative combination of existing evaluation methods, are described. The SSA Method is a cost-effective way to assist program funders, practitioners, and researchers in selecting the most promising innovations already in use and then preparing them for further, more rigorous evaluation. The focus of the issue is methodology, with abundant practical description of its application. The SSA Method is a six-step process: selecting a topic or theme soliciting nominations of innovations that address the theme using an expert panel to screen these nominations for those with the highest plausibility of meeting criteria for promise conducting evaluability assessments on the nominations that pass this screen expert panel review of the evaluability assessment reports The final step uses the information in three ways: to identify the innovations that are most promising and ready for evaluation, provide constructive feedback to the innovations that all reflect a similar program type. This issue describes use of the SSA Method in a 2-year collaborative project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the CDC Foundation, aimed at changing the prevalence of childhood obesity at the level of an entire population. This is the 125th volume New Directions for Evaluation, of the an official publication of the American Evaluation Association.

New Directions for Evaluation

The Systematic Screening and Assessment Method

Essential management guidance for real-world applied research projects Managing Applied Social Research equips you with the skills, strategies, and knowledge you need to effectively manage research projects. Written by a team of nationally-known researchers, this book covers the systematic management of applied social research studies from 'soup to nuts,' providing researchers with an easy-to-follow process and the tools and templates for improving the quality, ethical conduct, and usefulness of the final products. The authors merge expertise adapted from the field of project management with their decades of experience in using established research methodologies and practices to offer readers; practical examples and insights gleaned from major research houses such as Rand, Urban Institute, Mathematica, American Institutes for Research, and others. Key concepts and methodologies are systematically unpacked, with detailed discussion of both theoretical bases and practical applications in the field. Written in plain English, the case studies and vignettes illustrate typical approaches to different scenarios, and the checklists, templates, and other tools provide guides for action. Starting from basic social research strategies, you'll build an understanding of applied research issues and how projects are best managed in a messy, imperfect world. From conceptualization and proposal through implementation, analysis, and reporting, this book helps you lead your projects to success. Learn the skills and concepts necessary to effectively manage applied research projects for the social science disciplines Anticipate and prepare for common challenges and obstacles Understand the various roles and their requisite tasks and responsibilities Learn strategies for making effective decisions about a study's scope, work, schedule, people, budget, and risks during each phase of the research study Social science research is an essential well of information upon which society is run. Proper management is the key to any research project's success, and success becomes more critical in the field given the potential ramifications in terms of policy and its effects on real, everyday people. Managing Applied Social Research provides sound guidance and expert insight with an essential real-world focus.

Tools, Strategies, and Insights

Managing Applied Social Research

William R. Shadish

Thomas D. Cook

Foundations of Program Evaluation heralds a thorough exploration of the field of program evaluation--looking back on its origins. By summarizing, comparing, and contrasting the work of seven major theorists of program evaluation, this book provides an important perspective on the current state of evaluation theory and provides suggestions for ways of improving its practice. Beginning in Chapter Two, the authors develop a conceptual framework to analyze how successfully each theory meets the specific criteria of its framework. Each subsequent chapter is devoted to the presentation of the theoretical and practical advice of a significant theorist--Michael Scriven, Donald Campbell, Carol Weiss, Joseph Wholey, Robert Stake, Lee Cronbach, and Peter Rossi.

Laura C. Leviton

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