| Session Title: Estimating the Precision of an Evaluative Conclusion |
| Skill-Building Workshop 626 to be held in Panzacola Section H2 on Friday, Nov 13, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM |
| Sponsored by the Quantitative Methods: Theory and Design TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Cristian Gugiu, Western Michigan University, crisgugiu@yahoo.com |
| Abstract: One of the cornerstones of methodology is that "a weak design yields unreliable conclusions." While this principle is certainly true, the constraints of conducting evaluations in real-world settings often necessitate the implementation of less than ideal designs. To date, no quantitative or qualitative method exists for estimating the impact of sampling, measurement error, and design on the precision of an evaluative conclusion. Consequently, evaluators formulate recommendations and decision makers implement program and policy changes without full knowledge of the robustness of an evaluative conclusion. In light of the billions of dollars spent annually on evaluations and the countless millions of lives that are affected, the impact of decision error can be disastrous. This skill building workshop will demonstrate how to calculate the degree of confidence that can be placed on an evaluative conclusion regardless of whether quantitative or qualitative data are used to formula evaluative conclusions. |