Public Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Public Evaluation - Essay Example The evaluation process offers an overview of the possibilities through which policy makers are able to make precise and clear judgments on a particular policy implemented. Varied models attempts to explain the way evaluation process in policy can lead to successful policy making. This essay explains the significant methodologies employed in the evaluation process. It also focuses on varied approaches that were put a cross in an attempt of revealing the implication of evaluation and the way it can help policy makers to address policy issues. Evaluators employ collaborative relationships in order to collect adequate data that actors will analyze in order to determine in case a certain policy is effective or ineffective. Therefore, they employ varied methodologies in order to deal with contingencies that might modify the formal way of policy evaluation (Alkin 2010, p. 58). For the policy makers to understand a policy problem, they have to evaluate it through collecting data or informati on and analyze the collected data in a manner that enables them to find the desired solution to the problem. For instance, the stakeholders involved in the evaluation process let say an environmental policy, may gather adequate information through use of quantitative method in order to arrive at the desired goals. The policy analysts can chose the quantitative design model for analyzing the policy such as non-parametric or parametric experimental methods. The quantitative methodologies can include observations, interviews, questionnaires and surveys. Alternatively, the can chose qualitative design as a model for policy analysis such as observation, focused groups, interviews, surveys and case study analysis. These methodologies are significant because they can enable stakeholders to gather unbiased and precise information of a certain policy; thus making modifications or changes where necessary (Vedung, 1997, p.229). Radin (2006, p. 547) argues that performance measures as indicator s for public policy complexity. Therefore, he employs some approaches especially classical approach to reveal the measures of policy performance. Although, the author narrows this approach without the organization context in which the policy operates; thus reliability and neutrality of data requires evaluation. However, Radin does not defend classical approach because it logic, insensitive to the proper role of professional knowledge. The outcomes are also an enormous amount of misplace tasks, which can actually paralyze government rather than improving it (Radin (2006, p. 549). Performance measurement has become one of the significant indicators and a mechanism for data management. Radin uses numerous case studies especially that of government performance and results act and program assessment rating tool as effective approach toward policy performance measurement ((Radin (2006, p. 548). The case studies are appealing and it mostly tackles on the way performance measurement is empl oyed as an indicator for policy performance determination. However, the performance measure approach has some drawbacks, thus other models such as goal-attainment model attempts to reveal the way a policy can become successful. Vedung (1997, p.555) reveals the way stakeholder involved in