The Practice of Evaluation

P. Kilmer is Professor of Psychology and Director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Social Aspects of Health Initiative at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he has been on the faculty since receiving his PhD from the University of Rochester in 1999. A community and child clinical psychologist, his work has focused on children and families and (1) using evaluation to refine programs, improve service delivery, and guide system change and local policy; and (2) understanding factors influencing the development of children at risk for emotional, behavioral, and/or academic difficulties, particularly risk and resilience and youngsters' adjustment to trauma. Dr. Kilmer has partnered with diverse community stakeholders, directing or co-directing (with Jim Cook) projects that respond to community needs, functioning on collaborative teams, and mentoring early career professionals and students. His evaluation and applied research experience includes efforts funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Institute of Education Sciences and extends across areas and populations, including mental health, child welfare, education, public housing, early childhood, and integrated care. Across these efforts, many of them multi-year collaborations, he has sought to improve the services and supports provided to children and families, many of whom have traditionally been marginalized or underserved. His broader professional involvements-including as President of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice-demonstrate his investment in social justice and child and family well-being. At UNC Charlotte, he has been honored for his teaching, training, and community engagement with the Bonnie E. Cone Early-Career Professorship in Teaching, the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentoring Award, and the Provost's Faculty Award for Community Engagement. James R. (Jim) Cook, Professor of Psychology, has been on the faculty at UNC Charlotte since 1980, after receiving his PhD from Indiana University. Consistent with his identity as a community psychologist, he has worked to foster community change that improves the lives of people who (1) are economically and socially disadvantaged; and (2) have disabilities, with special emphasis on the needs of children and families. With faculty and students, he works in partnership with community programs, to help them collect, manage, and use data to improve their ability to address peoples' needs. Dr. Cook has led government- and foundation-funded community-university partnerships that foster and sustain change efforts. He headed a HUD-funded Community Outreach Partnership Center and has co-led (with Ryan Kilmer) efforts to evaluate and support early childhood education, mental health, and neighborhood improvement programs. In addition, he led the effort to create the UNC Charlotte Institute for Social Capital, which brings together university researchers and community agencies to use data to inform and guide services. In recognition of his efforts, Dr. Cook has received awards from local nonprofit organizations. He has also been honored with the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Public Service, for demonstrating "sustained, distinguished, and superb achievement in university public service and outreach ... improving the quality of life of the citizens of North Carolina"; the inaugural UNC Charlotte Provost's Faculty Award for Community Engagement, for work that embodies "the University's commitment to civic involvement"; and the Outstanding Educator Award from the Society of Community Research and Action, in recognition of "exemplary and innovative contributions to the education of students about community psychology and community research and action."

Part I. Evaluation to Support Change: Guiding Notions and Principles Chapter 1. Evaluative Research: Key Concepts and Applications in Facilitating Change - James R. Cook and Ryan P. Kilmer Chapter 2. Program Evaluation: Promises and Pitfalls - Ryan P. Kilmer and James R. Cook Chapter 3. Setting the Stage: A Partnership Approach to Evaluation - Ryan P. Kilmer, James R. Cook, and Laura Marie Armstrong Chapter 4. Cultural Sensitivity and Responsiveness in Evaluation - Cindy A. Crusto, Diane Purvin, Steven Hoffler, Michael Awad, and Osman OEzturgut Chapter 5. Ethical Considerations - Michael Morris Chapter 6. Evaluating Program Effectiveness: Connecting Process and Outcomes - James R. Cook and Ryan P. Kilmer Part II. Evaluation in Practice: Selected Strategies, Methods, and Applications Chapter 7. Evaluation Capacity Building: A Partnership Approach for Program Improvement and Social Change - Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar and Tina Taylor-Ritzler Chapter 8. Empowerment Evaluation - Pamela S. Imm, Mary Brolin, Janice B. Yost, and Opal R. Stone Chapter 9. Surveying the Landscape: Using Geographic Information Systems to Evaluate Community Programs and Facilitate Change - Greg Townley Chapter 10. Qualitative Evaluation in Community Partnership - Andrew D. Case and Joy S. Kaufman Chapter 11. Network Analysis in Evaluation Research - Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary P. Neal Chapter 12. Using Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness Analyses in the Community Context - Sarah L. Pettijohn and Joanne G. Carman Part III. Evaluation in Action: Special Topics and Contexts Chapter 13. Investing in Nonprofit Development Through Evaluation Capacity and Strategic Partnerships: A Four-Tiered Model - Katherine Strater Hogan, Virginia Covill, and Ryan P. Kilmer Chapter 14. Community-University Partnerships to Promote Change - Lindsay G. Messinger, Ryan P. Kilmer, and James R. Cook Chapter 15. Data-Driven Advocacy and Advocacy Evaluation - Melissa Strompolis, Megan Branham, and Whitney Tucker Chapter 16. Using Evaluation to Promote Improvements in Health Service Settings - Victoria C. Scott, Jonathan P. Scaccia, and Kassy Alia Ray Chapter 17. Creating Collaborative Partnerships Through Participatory Evaluation to Shape Public Policy - Rebecca Campbell, Jessica Shaw, Hannah Feeney, and Debi Cain Chapter 18. Epilogue - Ryan P. Kilmer and James R. Cook

"I really like the way this book is not about just methods, it is about practice, and reflects my own approach to teaching evaluation: lots of real-world examples, methods that fit the contexts and feasibility, and a text that is both readable and builds on classic concepts." -- Jerry Hinbest "The editors and authors have made challenging evaluation concepts easy to understand, and available in one concise, well-written resource. Thank you for making this information available for students and practitioners alike!" -- Jennifer E. LeBeau "This book provides valuable, relevant information that will help students learn to appreciate and utilize program evaluation as practitioners in various fields. The focus on collaboration makes it relevant to current real-world realities of organizations and systems." -- Skye N. Leedahl "This book is comprehensive and well-structured. The new models and ways of thinking introduced are refreshing, and the examples provided cover various settings and will resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds. I will definitely refer to this book when conducting the internal evaluation of our next grant, and I can't wait to share some of the take-aways with my students." -- Minjuan Wang