University of Toronto Press on behalf of the Canadian Evaluation Society
Abstract:
Recent interest has been noted in the evaluation community in expanding
the focus from program implementation and outcomes to program design and
planning. One important step for moving in this direction is to examine existing
evaluation models and to assess their relative strengths and weaknesses for planning
purposes. This article presents a comparative case study of applying logic models and
the action model/change model schema for planning the Learning Community Program
in Taiwan. Lessons learned from these applications indicate that logic models
are relatively easy to learn and effective for identifying major program components
and indicators, but not sufficient for articulating the theoretical significance of the
program. On the other hand, the action model/change model schema requires more
time to learn and practise, but it has relative advantages for providing theoretical
insights into contextual factors and causal mechanisms of the program, unlike logic
models. This comparison can serve as a guide for evaluation practitioners when
selecting evaluation tools to apply in planning and/or evaluating their programs.
Relation:
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation 33(1), p. 49-68