Experimental and contextual models of program evaluation

Abstract

Evaluation research is one of the most rapidly evolving fields of applied behavioral science. As demand for program assessment has increased, the number of alternative evaluation approaches has also grown. As a result, everyday practitioners have often lacked sufficient guidelines for the choice of appropriate evaluation strategies. The present paper articulates an underlying epistemological distinction between (a) experimental evaluation models which simplify program realities in generalizable analyses of discrete causes and effects, and (b) contextual evaluation models which holistically examine particular program operations. These two evaluation approaches are directed at different purposes and are applicable to different program settings. A topology of program characteristics (breadth of goals, scope of treatment, specificity of results, and clarity of theory) is developed and linked to the appropriateness of experimental and contextual evaluation.