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Program Evaluation Glossary

 

A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W X, Y, Z


"A"

Accessibility
The extent to which the structural and organizational arrangements facilitate participation in the program.
Accountability
The responsibility of program staff to provide evidence to stakeholders and sponsors that a program is effective and in conformity with its coverage, service, legal, and fiscal requirements.
Activities
Things you do-activities you plan to conduct in your program.
Archival Data
Information about trends in national, regional, state, and local repositories which may be useful in establishing baselines against which program effectiveness can be measured.
After-Only Designs
One-shot studies; evaluation designs involving only measures taken after the program has been completed.
Analysis
A systematic approach to problem solving. Complex problems are simplified by separating them into more understandable elements. This involves the identification of purposes and facts, the statement of defensible assumptions, and the formulation of conclusions.
Analysis of Covariance
A method for analyzing the differences in the means of two or more groups of cases while taking account of variation in one interval-ratio variable.
Analysis of Variance
A method for analyzing the differences in the means of two or more groups of cases.
Anchors
Anchors are items that serve as reference points from which other items in the series or other points in the scale are judged or compared.
Anonymity (provision for)
Evaluator action to ensure that the identity of subjects cannot be ascertained during the course of a study, in study reports, or in any other way.
Applied Research
Research designed for the purpose of producing results that may be applied to real world situations.
Association
General term for the relationship among variables
Asymmetric Measure of Association
A measure of association that makes a distinction between independent and dependent variables.
Attitude Surveys
Data collection techniques designed to collect standard information from a large number of subjects concerning their attitudes or feelings. These typically refer to questionnaires or interviews.
Attribute
A characteristic that describes a person, thing, or event.
Attribution (1)
The assertion that certain events or conditions were, to some extent, caused or influenced by other events or conditions. This means a reasonable connection can be made between a specific outcome and the actions and outputs of a government policy, program, or initiative.
Attribution (2)
See anonymity.
Attrition
The loss of subjects during the course of a study. This may be a threat to the validity of conclusions if participants of study and comparison/control groups drop out at different rates or for different reasons.
Audit
The systematic examination of records and the investigation of other evidence to determine the propriety, compliance, and adequacy of programs, systems, and operations. The auditing process may include tools and techniques available from such diverse areas as engineering, economics, statistics, and accounting.

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