The status of management oriented evaluation in public administration and management graduate programs

Abstract

This paper details an assessment of the evaluation course content of graduate programs in public affairs and administration programs. The research describes the distribution of evaluation courses in these programs by academic unit, program focus, and subject matter content. The findings reveal that 85% of the programs provide at least one evaluation course and evaluation is a core requirement in 49% of the programs. Analysis of course syllabi demonstrates that these courses are more likely to focus on program outcomes and policy impact than management issues concerning the effects of organizational structures, processes, and internal resource allocations on organizational performance. The author argues that more courses in these programs should take this emphasis to enable students to use evaluation more effectively as a management tool.