Purposeful Program Theory: Effective Use of Theories of Change and Logic Models

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· Sold by John Wiley & Sons
5.0
1 review
eBook
576
Pages

About this eBook

Between good intentions and great results lies a program theory not just a list of tasks but a vision of what needs to happen, and how. Now widely used in government and not-for-profit organizations, program theory provides a coherent picture of how change occurs and how to improve performance. Purposeful Program Theory shows how to develop, represent, and use program theory thoughtfully and strategically to suit your particular situation, drawing on the fifty-year history of program theory and the authors' experiences over more than twenty-five years.

"From needs assessment to intervention design, from implementation to outcomes evaluation, from policy formulation to policy execution and evaluation, program theory is paramount. But until now no book has examined these multiple uses of program theory in a comprehensive, understandable, and integrated way. This promises to be a breakthrough book, valuable to practitioners, program designers, evaluators, policy analysts, funders, and scholars who care about understanding why an intervention works or doesn't work." Michael Quinn Patton, author, Utilization-Focused Evaluation

"Finally, the definitive guide to evaluation using program theory! Far from the narrow 'one true way' approaches to program theory, this book provides numerous practical options for applying program theory to fulfill different purposes and constraints, and guides the reader through the sound critical thinking required to select from among the options. The tour de force of the history and use of program theory is a truly global view, with examples from around the world and across the full range of content domains. A must-have for any serious evaluator." E. Jane Davidson, PhD, Real Evaluation Ltd.

Companion Web site: josseybass.com/go/funnellrogers

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review
A Google user
28 July 2011
Part encyclopaedia, part guide - Purposeful Program Theory is an invaluable resource for anyone responsible for design, management or evaluation of public policy and larger scale social programmes and initiatives. It sets out comprehensively the myriad ways in which program theory can be developed and applied to programs as part of evaluation to improve the quality of policies, programmes, services and strategies and their evaluation and the considerations and options at every step. Review submitted by Matt Baumann on behalf of the Social Research Association
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About the author

Sue C. Funnell is a director of Performance Improvement, a consulting company, and the former president of the Australasian Evaluation Society.

Patricia J. Rogers, PhD, is professor of Public Sector Evaluation at Collaboration for Interdisciplinary Research, Consulting, and Learning in Evaluation, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia.

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