Evaluation Model Selection Assignment #2

ECUR 809

Evaluation Model Selection Assignment #2

Monika MacKenzie

1)      Program Description

The case study involves design and implementation of a prenatal exercise program targeting Aboriginal women in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with the efforts of preventing and reducing type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus (GEM) in future generations and optimizing healthy pregnancies.  The program functioned as a means and an end to address health-related issues in the participants.    

2)      Evaluation Model & Justifications

With the provided information on the program, I would choose to design a program evaluation using a combined approach.  According to Stufflebeam, the purpose of program evaluation is to improve not prove.  This program comes from a community perspective with hopes of improving the stake-holders life long-term.  The aims of any program evaluation should be to identify if it is doing what was hoped.  From this explanation it leads to Stake’s Countenance Model and Questions;

1)      Is there congruence between what is intended and what is observed?

2)      What is the relationship between the variables?

3)      Is there a logical connection between an event and its purpose?

These questions would guide a very effective program evaluation of the prenatal exercise program as laid out in the case study.

Going beyond these first questions I would chose to implement a Summative Process and Product Evaluation, taken from Stufflebeam’s CIPP Model.

The summative process model seeks to assess implementation of plans and help the users judge the program performance & interpret outcomes.  The evaluation would be strengthened by combing it with the summative product model which seeks to identify and assess the outcomes intended & unintended. 

The benefit to using a summative evaluation is that it seeks to asks key questions;

1)      Were important needs addressed?

2)      Was the effort guided by a defensible plan and budget?

3)      Was the service design executed competently and modified as needed?

4)      Did the effort succeed?

In answering the final question of success, the evaluation process would describe the program impact, effectiveness, sustainability and transportability.  All of these factors would add credibility, validity and worthiness to the program for future applications.