Pitfalls and Opportunities in the Evaluation of Social Service Programs
26 Pages Posted: 25 Nov 2003
Date Written: November 17, 2003
Abstract
The outcomes of most social-service programs are complex and subject to conflicting ethical, utilitarian, and political assessments. As a result, different elements of private and public benefits will not be recognized or weighted equally by all providers and funders. Once agreement on the intended outcome has been reached, evaluation focuses on the optimal method and provider for obtaining it. This article considers econometric and experimental designs for determining the relative effectiveness of alternative treatments or providers, including designs proposed in other contributions to this symposium.
Keywords: Faith-Based Organizations, social services, econometric program evaluation, experimental methods
JEL Classification: D1, C9, H4, D6
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation