Faith-based evaluation: accountable to whom, for what?
Findings, issues, and lessons learned about program evaluation are examined from a national qualitative study of 15 faith-based human service programs targeting those in need in urban areas. Using a grounded theory design, five properties emerge as part of the evaluation network: (1) philosophy of accountability, (2) legitimacy, (3) evaluation design, (4) feedback loop, and (5) barriers to evaluation. While funders expect measurable outcomes to evaluate service effectiveness, respondents acknowledge other competing expectations of multiple constituents in religious and secular communities. What emerges is an excellent example of managing multiple program evaluation demands in programs that are particularly facile at process evaluation in the interest of quality service and relationship building. The article concludes with important lessons learned about the process of program evaluation.
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, 1001 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23284-2027, USA.
Mary Katherine
MK
O'Connor
F Ellen
FE
Netting
D003256:Community Participation; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012067:Religion; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012946:Social Welfare; D012947:Social Work / Q000592:standards*; D014504:Urban Health