HRD assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

HRD assignment - Research Paper Example Evaluation is characterized as either formative or summative . Broadly , formative evaluation focuses on what leads to an intervention working, and summative evaluation, on the other hand, looks at specifically the short-term to long-term outcomes of an intervention on the groups targeted. Formative evaluation takes place before the project, and also during the project so as to improve the design of the project as it is being put into implementation. Formative evaluation is usually used in qualitative ways of inquiry. Summative evaluation is used during and after the project implementation, and it is associated with more decision, quantitative methods. The difference between formative and summative evaluation is blurred. Generally it is of paramount importance to have knowledge of how an intervention works, and also if it worked. It is thus important to capture and make assessment of both qualitative and quantitative data. Importance of Evaluation The first importance of evaluation i s that evaluation theories are a way of consolidating lessons learned, that is, of synthesizing prior experience. They help evaluators develop a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the way organizations make decisions and may be influenced by evaluation findings. Theories enable us to learn from the experience of others. Second, comparing evaluation theories are a useful way of identifying and better understanding the key areas of debate within the field. Comparative study of evaluation theory likewise helps crystallize what the unsettled issues are in practice. A third reason for studying evaluation theory is that the theory should be an important part of our identities as evaluators, both individually and collectively. If we think of ourselves in terms of our methodological skills, what is it that differentiates us from many other people with equal (or even superior) methodological expertise? Evaluation theory. But people come for evaluation through quite varied pathwa ys, many of which don’t involve explicit training in evaluation. That there are myriad pathways into evaluation is, of course, a source of great strength of the field, bringing a diversity of skills, opinions, knowledge sets, and so on (Schwandt 2002).. Types of evaluations Process Evaluation Process evaluations help stakeholders see how a program outcome or impact was achieved. Overemphasizing outcome evaluation of the cost of other types, especially process evaluation, is a disservice to nonprofits and the sector. This is because the process evaluation allows a nonprofit to look at how it develops itself, its structures, its supporting programs like communications and marketing, even fund development in order to get to the outcomes everyone wants it to achieve. In other words, process evaluations document the process of a program's implementation. Process evaluations help stakeholders see how a program outcome or impact was achieved. The focus of a process evaluation is on the types and quantities of services delivered, the beneficiaries of those services, the resources used to deliver the services, the practical problems encountered, and the ways it was handled. Taking process evaluation a step further, it can also look at the processes of program, management and  infrastructure together that is  the capacity of an organization to deliver on its promised outcomes. Approaches to