Policy Evaluation

Policy Evaluation of the Non-Experimental Evaluation Design Approach in Education A program can be described as a set of activities that are coordinated and run in tandem over a significant period, and aimed at delivering a specified outcome to a client/s. The terms: policy, strategy, initiative, intervention and project are often interchangeably used with the word program. Programs are discrete funded activities that are different from the usual daily operations and activities. These sets of activities are designed to achieve specific objectives within provided timeframes and resource allocation.

Regular core business operations and activities are typically outside the scope of programs. The systematic evaluation of the value/worth of an item (abstract or concrete) is called evaluation (Trochim, 2006). Evaluation is intensive, systematic, objective and rigorous. It draws judgments about the effects and merits of a program. The policy discussed here gives direction for evaluation of programs. This policy is intended to support quality evaluation process in bolstering training and education outcomes for children, employers, students and similar stakeholders in training at the workplace, for caregivers, parents.

It seeks to promote active, strong and inclusive communities accompanied with efficient utilization of resources. Evaluation data is important in planning and developing programs and policies, enhance the implementation aspect, draw judgments and conclusions concerning outcomes and effects and assist in making decisions about resource allocation. The evaluation process promotes decision-making that is based on evidence, improvement of systems, innovation and accountability. Some of the common contexts in which evaluation is done include school, funding bodies and program requirements stipulated by external parties.

Each of these aspects should be inspired by the principles of evaluation in general. General Principles of Evaluation • Evaluation activity should be run during the early stages; at the design step of programs in order to enhance the assessment and evaluation of such programs and bolster evaluation robustness. • There will be sufficient funding of the evaluation process as an aspect of the program design; considering important factors such as feasibility, practicality and its chances of being achieved in a specified time frame.

Typically, a robust evaluation program may apply both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It may even include the use of existent administrative data, collecting information directly from clients and information systems • Evaluation is set to be systematic, rigorous and objective. It comes with a fitting design and scale. Evaluation programs should be methodical and replicable in tune with the size of the program, risk, significance and priority. • Expertise from program managers should be included in the evaluation process. Gender and cultural orientation are important factors in conducting evaluation.

There should be a balance in the composition of the evaluation teams. If evaluation involves the right people including stakeholders, program managers, and experts in particular subject matter to review and draft reports of evaluation, there is a higher chance of deriving helpful lessons from such evaluation and accepting the results of the evaluation. The back stops at the evaluator's door as far as taking responsibility for the final content of the reports is concerned.

• Stakeholders are to be picked out and involved actively in the process of evaluation. This guarantees that outcome definition, outputs, activities and program success metrics is reached through collaboration. • Stakeholders play a central role in the interpretation of the evaluation information and formulating the recommendations. Evaluation has to be timely and strategically done to assist the decision-making process. Provision of a balanced, reliable and valid information demands for clever interplay between time and technical requirements.

There must also be practical elements incorporated to make sure that the decision-making process is based on evidence. Key Requirements • Evaluations of the programs must be done in tune with the guidelines in the Evaluation Framework of the department. There should be a proportionate scale of the evaluation to be in sync with the size and importance of the program by use of the four tier model in the Government Program Evaluation Guidelines of NSW. There should be consistent.