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Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text
 
 
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Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text [Paperback]

Michael Quinn Patton (Author), M. Q. Patton (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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The latest edition of this bestselling book has been completely revised and updated to provide the most comprehensive review and integration ever done of the vast literature on evaluation use and practice.

About the Author

Michael Quinn Patton lives in Minnesota where, according to the state's poet laureate, Garrison Keillor, "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." It was this lack of interesting statistical variation in Minnesota that led him to qualitative inquiry despite the strong quantitative orientation of his doctoral studies in sociology at the University of Wisconsin. He serves on the graduate faculty of The Union Institute, a nontraditional, interdisciplinary, nonresidential and individually designed doctoral program. He was on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for 18 years, including five years as Director of the Minnesota Center for Social Research, where he was awarded the Morse-Amoco Award for innovative teaching. Readers of this book will not be surprised to learn that he has also won the University of Minnesota storytelling competition.He has authored five other Sage books: Utilization-Focused Evaluation, Creative Evaluation, Practical Evaluation, How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation, and Family Sexual Abuse: Frontline Research and Evaluation. He edited Culture and Evaluation for the journal New Direction in Program Evaluation. His creative nonfiction book, Grand Canyon Celebration: A Father-Son Journey of Discovery, was a finalist for 1999 Minnesota Book of the Year.He is former President of the American Evaluation Association and the only recipient of both the Alva and Gunner Myrdal Award for Outstanding Contributions to Useful and Practical Evaluation from the Evaluation Research Society and the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for Lifelong Contributions to Evaluation Theory from the American Evaluation Association. The Society for Applied Sociology awarded him the 2001 Lester F. Ward Award for Outstanding Contributions to Applied Sociology.
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On a cold November morning in Minnesota, some 15 people in various states of wakefulness have gathered to discuss evaluation of a county human services program. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars A key reference text for evaluators at all levels, April 11 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Test (Hardcover)
One of the most important books on evaluation ever written, and this third edition is better than ever. How to ensure that evaluation results are put to maximum use, by involving key stakeholders as true partners in the effort from start to finish. This is evalution for the new century at its finest. And fun to read as well.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking and easy to read, Feb 27 2002
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This review is from: Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text (Paperback)
I found this book to provide a very useful summary of a philosophy of evaluation that seems very valuable. Despite the horrible title the test is easy to read, and scattered with funny stories which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your perspective.

The first two parts are largely philosophical, with the later parts providing more of the practical back-up.

I am not convinced by all of Patton's arguments, but he certainly gives evaluators food for thought.

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Amazon.com: 4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking and easy to read, Feb 27 2002
By "bernardlw" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text (Paperback)
I found this book to provide a very useful summary of a philosophy of evaluation that seems very valuable. Despite the horrible title the test is easy to read, and scattered with funny stories which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your perspective.

The first two parts are largely philosophical, with the later parts providing more of the practical back-up.

I am not convinced by all of Patton's arguments, but he certainly gives evaluators food for thought.


6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A key reference text for evaluators at all levels, April 11 2002
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Test (Hardcover)
One of the most important books on evaluation ever written, and this third edition is better than ever. How to ensure that evaluation results are put to maximum use, by involving key stakeholders as true partners in the effort from start to finish. This is evalution for the new century at its finest. And fun to read as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Overarching Evaluation Text, Feb 8 2006
By John C. Ehlert "Arrowsun" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Utilization-Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text (Paperback)
The U-FE framework is primarily a text about user focused evaluation. I have found this text to be both useful and comforting. The usefulness of the book begins with taking a novice evaluator, I am one, through some very basic activities to help build evaluation skills of professionals.

Patton starts with the rationale the many evaluations are unused. Then he builds his case for use throughout the entire text. He continues to develop the strengths and weaknesses of goal based and goal free evaluation. Ultimately he states that evaluations need to have use for primary users and that evaluations need to measure client outcomes. Did the program actually change, maintain, prevent something in the target population.

There are few books in any profession that admit working with human based systems is very difficult. Patton lays out the highly complex feelings and emotions that an evaluator deals with at any point in the evaluation process. I know as a teacher that sometimes our profession misses that we have a tremendous impact on students. I know that it is a platitude. Evaluation is a relatively new field with few institutions currently offering degrees in evaluation, so Patton offers a lot of insight into this highly complex and still developing field.

There are some very practical menus offered in the text as well. Approaching any consulting work with a list of viable and workable choices is a good thing. I find that understanding the choices helps me to focus on what is right for the primary users of the evaluation. Focusing on the primary intended users is good business. Not only is it good business, but I believe that working in challenging situations it is good to allow people to decide what course to take. Many criticize this approach for being to close to the program being evaluated, and I disagree with this notion. There is little evidence in my experience or in the literature to suggest that any interaction with human systems can be objective. People are smart and keeping a distance may add unintended consequences to any evaluation.

Patton is suggesting working with intended users to increase evaluation use. Evaluation that are completed and never used is a waste of time and resources. I find Patton's book helpful in keeping my interest in evaluation because I do want to be part of a world that I can help make better.
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