| Session Title: Evaluation Policy: Current Issues, Potential Impacts, and Future Directions |
| Expert Lecture Session 377 to be held in Room 110 in the Convention Center on Thursday, Nov 6, 3:35 PM to 4:20 PM |
| Sponsored by the Government Evaluation TIG and the Research, Technology, and Development Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Deborah Duran, National Institutes of Health, durand@od.nih.gov |
| Abstract: Policies often guide organizational management practices and create program implementation standardizations. Although program accountability requirements are increasing in demand, evaluation and assessment policies are frequently not in place to proactively respond to performance requests. Evaluation policies at the national governing body level to address evaluator competence could substantially improve the practice consistency and external perceptions of evaluations. The creation of distinct policies for evaluation and for system assessments in the field would facilitate appropriate utilization in government, organization and program performance assessment policies. As agencies strive to proactively meet performance reporting requirements, evaluation/assessment policies to prompt appropriate infrastructures should include 1) evaluation of single/similar focused programs; 2) system assessments of large complex programs/organizations; 3) credentialed evaluators and system assessors; 4) recommendations plans that have realistic implementation plans; and 5) strategies to utilize findings in subsequent planning in order to enhance the value added perceptions of assessing performance. |