title: The impact profile approach to policy merit. The case of research grants and the university.
abstract: In writings on the theory of valuing, many take the position that impacts on the relevant outcome dimensions should be aggregated to arrive at one summary assessment of program merit. A contrary position is taken here, specifying that the impacts should be kept separate and unweighted and expressed only in their own original measurement scales. All impacts, however, should be portrayed, including those for which no rigorous data analysis has been carried out. It is argued that aggregating, even by the individual stakeholder, is both futile and misleading. An extensive evaluation of the effects of research grants on the university is included as a full-scale illustration of the method. Financial impacts are considered, as well as impacts on faculty and student quality, on university prestige, and on the quality of instruction.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016134:Organizational Policy; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012945:Social Values; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*