What is an Evaluation Anyway?

Definition
Rossi and Freeman (1993) define evaluation as "the systematic application of social research procedures for assessing the conceptualization, design, implementation, and utility of ... programs." There are many other similar definitions and explanations of "what evaluation is" in the literature. Our view is that, although each definition, and in fact, each evaluation is slightly different, there are several different steps that are usually followed in any evaluation. It is these steps which guide the questions organizing this handbook. An overview of the steps of a "typical" eval…