This article presents the state of practice of evaluability assessment (EA) as represented in the published literature from 1986 to 2006. Twenty-three EA studies were located, showing that EA was conducted in a wide variety of programs, disciplines, and settings. Most studies employed document reviews, site visits, and interviews, common methodologies previously recommended in the literature on EA. The use of uncommon methodologies such as the use of standardized instruments and statistical modeling were also found in studies obtained for this review. The most common rationale for conducting EA mentioned in these studies was determining program readiness for impact assessment, program development, and formative evaluation. Outcomes found in these studies include the construction of a program logic model, development of goals and objectives, and modification of program components. The findings suggest that EA is practiced and published more widely than previously known. Recommendations to enhance EA practice are offered.
*Axford, N., Berry, V., & Little, M. (2006). Enhancing service evaluability: Lessons from a programme for disaffected young people. Children & Society , 20, 287-298.
2.
Axford, N., Little, M., Morpeth, L., & Weyts, A. (2005). Evaluating children's services: Recent conceptual and methodological developments. British Journal of Social Work, 35(1), 73-88.
3.
Bashshur, R.L. (1995). On the definition and evaluation of telemedicine . Telemedicine Journal, 1(1), 19-30.
4.
*Basile, K.C., Lang, K.S., Bartenfeld, T.A., & Clinton-Sherrod, M. (2005). Evaluability assessment of the rape prevention and education program: Summary of findings and recommendations . Journal of Women's Health, 14(3), 201-207.
5.
Beale, I.L. (2002). An evaluation model for psycho educational interventions using interactive multimedia. CyberPsychology and Behavior , 6(6), 565-580.
6.
*Benne, C.G., & Garrard, W.M. (2003). Collaborative development and evaluation: A case study in conflict resolution education. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 26(2), 71-87.
7.
*Casebeer, A., & Thurston, W.E. (1995). Evaluability assessment in health care: An example of the patient care and outcome process. The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 10(1), 89-102.
8.
Chemers, B., & Reed, W. (2005). Increasing evidence-based programs in criminal and juvenile justice: A report from the front lines. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 11, 259-274.
9.
Ciarlo, J.A., & Windle, C. (1988). Mental health program evaluation and needs assessment . In H. S. Bloom & D. S. Cordray (Eds.), Lessons from selected program policy areas (pp. 99-120). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
10.
*Crump, C., & Letourneau, R.J. (2002). Developing a process to evaluate a national injury prevention program: The Indian Health Service Injury Prevention Program. In A. Steckler & L. Linnan (Eds.), Process evaluation for public health interventions and research (pp. 321-357). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
11.
*Dwyer, J.J.M., Hansen, B., Barrera, M., Allison, K., Ceolin-Celestini, S., Koenig, D., et al. (2003). Maximizing children's physical activity: An evaluability assessment to plan a community-based, multi-strategy approach in an ethno-racially and socio-economically diverse city. Health Promotion International, 18(3), 199-208.
12.
*Finckenauer, J.O., Margaryan, S., & Sullivan, M.L. (2005). Evaluability assessment in juvenile justice: A case example. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 3(3), 265-275.
13.
Fisher, R.J., & Peters, L. (1985). The role of evaluability assessment in mental health program evaluation. Canadian Journal of Community Health Special Issues: Program Evaluation: A Participatory Approach, 4(2), 25-34.
14.
*Heinz, L.C., & Grant, P.R. (2003). A process evaluation of a parenting group for parents with intellectual disabilities. Evaluation and Program Planning, 26, 263-274.
15.
Illback, R.J., Zins, J.E., & Maher, C.A. (1990). An overview of principles and procedures of program planning and evaluation. In T. B. Gutkin & C. R. Reynolds (Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (pp. 799-820). Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons.
16.
*Johncox, V. (2000). Evaluability assessment of staff training in special care units for persons with dementia: Strategic issues [Special issue]. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 15, 53-66.
17.
Killion, J. (2003). Solid footwork makes evaluation of staff development programs a song [Electronic version]. Journal of Staff Development , 24(4), 14-22. http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/killion244.cfm
Lipsey, M., Petrie, C., Weisburd, D., & Gottfredson, D. (2006). Improving evaluation of anti-crime programs: Summary of a National Research Council report. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 2, 271-307.
20.
*Macaskill, L., Dwyer, J.J.M., Uetrecht, C., Dombrow, C., Crompton, R., Wilck, B., et al. (2000). An evaluability assessment to develop a restaurant health promotion program in Canada. Health Promotion International, 15(1), 57-69.
21.
Matthews, B., Hubbard, D.J., & Latessa, E. (2001). Making the next step: Using evaluability assessment to improve correctional programming. The Prison Journal, 81(4), 454-472.
22.
*Meeres, S.L., Fisher, R., & Gerrard, N. (1995). Evaluability assessment of a community-based program . The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 10(1), 103-121.
23.
*Onyeiwu, S., Shrestha, H., & Botero, C. (1997). A welfare-based evaluability assessment of structural adjustment programs in Africa [Special issue]. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 18, 689-710.
24.
Picciotto, R. (2005). The evaluation of policy coherence for development . Evaluation, 11(3), 311-330.
25.
*Piquero, A. (1998). Applying an evaluability assessment tool to community-based programs in Pittsburgh. The Prison Journal, 78(1), 74-89.
26.
*Poole, D.L., Nelson, J., Carnahan, S., Chepenik, N.G., & Tubiak, C. (2000). Evaluating performance measurement systems in nonprofit agencies: The Program Accountability Quality Scale (PAQS). American Journal of Evaluation, 21(1), 15-26.
27.
*Priya, K.R., Singh, S., Dorabjee, J., Varma, S., & Samson, L. (2005). How effective are harm reduction programmes for drug users? Some insights from an evaluation of the program at Sharan in Delhi . Journal of Health Management, 7(2), 219-236.
28.
Renzaho, A. (2002). Selective feeding centres in refugee settings: Evaluation framework protocol. Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 11(3), 237-245.
29.
Riggin, L.J., Grasso, P.G., & Westcott, M.L. (1992). A framework for evaluating housing and community development partnership projects. Public Administration Review, 52(1), 40-46.
30.
Rog, D.J. (1985). A methodological analysis of evaluability assessment . Dissertation Abstract International, 46, 8B.
*Russ-Eft, D. (1986). Evaluability assessment of the adult education program (AEP): The results and their use. Evaluation and Program Planning, 9(1), 39-47.
Schmidt, R.E., Scanlon, J.W., & Bell, J.B. (1979). Evaluability assessment: Making public programs work better (Monograph No. 14). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Project Share, Human Services .
35.
Scriven, M. (1991). Evaluation thesaurus (4th ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage .
36.
Smith, M.F. (1989). Evaluability assessment a practical approach. Boston: Kluwer Academic.
37.
Smith, M.F. (2005). Evaluability assessment. In S. Mathison (Ed.), Encyclopedia of evaluation (pp. 136-139). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
38.
Thurston, W.E. (1991). Program planning and evaluation. Unpublished course documents, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
39.
Thurston, W.E., Graham, J., & Hatfield, J. (2003). Evaluability assessment: A catalyst for program change and improvement. Evaluation and the Health Professions , 26(2), 206-221.
40.
*Thurston, W.E., & Potvin, L. (2003). Evaluability assessment: A tool for incorporating evaluation in social change programmes. Evaluation, 9(4), 453-469.
41.
*Thurston, W.E., & Ramaliu, A. (2005). Evaluability assessment of a survivors of torture program: Lessons learned. The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 20(2), 1-25.
42.
Trevisan, M.S., & Huang, Y. (2003). Evaluability assessment: A primer. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 8, Article 20. Retrieved November 14, 2003, from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=20
43.
*Vanderheyden, L., Verhoef, M., Scott, C., & Pain, K. (2006). Evaluability assessment as a tool for research network development: Experiences of the complementary and alternative medicine education and research network of Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 21(1), 63-82.
44.
Van Voorhis, P., & Brown, K. (1996). Evaluability assessment: A tool for program development in corrections. Unpublished monograph, National Institute of Corrections, Washington, DC.
45.
*Welsh, W.N., Harris, P.W., & Jenkins, P.H. (1996). Reducing overrepresentation of minorities in juvenile justice: Development of community-based programs in Pennsylvania. Crime and Delinquency, 42(1), 76-98.
46.
Wholey, J.S. (1979). Evaluation: Promise and performance. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
47.
Wholey, J.S. (1987). Evaluability assessment: Developing program theory . New Directions for Program Evaluation, 33, 77-92.
48.
Wholey, J.S. (1989). Introduction: How evaluation can improve agency and program performance. In J. S. Wholey & K. E. Newcomer (Eds.), Improving government performance: Evaluation strategies for strengthening public agencies and programs (pp. 1-11). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
49.
Wholey, J.S. (2002). Evaluability assessment: Improving evaluation, management and performance. Washington, DC: General Accounting Office of the United States and University of Southern California.
50.
Wholey, J.S. (2004). Assessing the feasibility and likely usefulness of evaluation. In J. S. Wholey, H. P. Hatry, & K. E. Newcomer (Eds.), The handbook of practical program evaluation (pp. 15-39). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
51.
*Youtie, J., Bozeman, B., & Shapira, P. (1999). Using evaluability assessment to select methods for evaluating state technology development programs: The case of the Georgia research alliance. Evaluation and Program Planning, 22(1), 55-64.
52.
*Zeidler, D.L., LeBaron, J.F., Gupta, R., & Torres, H.N. (1999). Meeting the challenge of professional development: Design and evaluation of a telecommunications mediated course in science, mathematics, and technology education. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 10(30), 195-215.
