Program and Policy Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

Course Goals

• Study approaches to assessing effects of public policies and programs on individuals, groups, and communities

• Explore the scope and causes of public issues (or problems)

• Examine assessment and evaluative approaches for determining success or failure of public programs and policies

Course Objectives

• Gauge purposes and goals of programs and policies

• Command of the scope and functions of policy and program analysis and evaluation

• Command specific approaches to analyzing and evaluating policies and programs

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Assessment	25%
Chapter Summary and Presentation	25%
Policy Evaluation Project and Presentation	50%

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
93 to 100%	A
90 to 92.99%	A-
87 to 89.99%	B+
83 to 86.99%	B
80 to 82.99%	B-
77 to 79.99%	C+
73 to 76.99%	C
70 to 72.99%	C-
Less than 69.99%	F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance is required and will be taken at the instructor's discretion. Excessive absences can result in a reduction of up to 25 percent in the final grade calculation at the end of the term.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Poister, Theodore H., Maria P. Aristigueta, and Jeremy L. Hall. 2015. Managing and Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: An Integrated Approach, 2nd Edition. (New York: Jossey-Bass) [Poister] [available free]

Ammons, David, and Dale J. Roenigk. 2022. Tools for Decision Making: A Practical Guide for Local Government. 3rd Edition. (London: Routledge Press). ISBN: 9780367654320 (pbk) [Ammons & Roenigk]

United States Government Accountability Office. Designing Evaluations: 2012 Revision. https://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588146.pdf [USGAO 1] [available free] (for more GAO reports and guidance, see the GAO Evaluation and Evidence homepage)

United States Government Accountability Office. Quantitative Data Analysis: An Introduction (mainly for reference) [available free]