This course is offered as part of the noncredit Certificate in Public Management offered by the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs.

Course Overview:

This course provides students with training in the theory and methods used to generate evidence-based answers to questions regarding the efficacy of social programs and policies. This class will teach students how to read the existing evaluation literature in an area, design a research study, analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, and make decisions about the future of programs.

Teaching Style

This course will utilize several different approaches: Online recorded lectures, assigned readings, weekly assignments, online discussions and peer reviews, and a final project/paper. Readings will be assigned for each class period, and the material in these readings will be discussed in class and supplemented with lectures and assignments. The lectures will also cover material not included in the readings.

This course will require a basic understanding of statistics. Some assignments will require you to apply concepts that you should know from previous statistics classes. Some assignments will also require basic knowledge of Excel or similar program (e.g., Google Sheets) to summarize statistics and generate figures. At the end of the course, students will have applied their learnings to a final project. For the final project, students can propose an outcome evaluation plan, an implementation evaluation plan, or one that integrates both. Students are not being asked to actually apply the method, this final project is only proposal for how one would plan to go about their outcome evaluation or implementation evaluation plan. 

Learning Outcomes:

Students will learn about program evaluation, logic models, outcome evaluations, validity, & causal inference, data visualization, presenting & communicating program assessment, and report writing. 

Optional Textbooks:

Joy A. Frechtling. 2007. Logic Modeling Methods in Program Evaluation. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.

Weiss, Carol. 1998. Evaluation. Second Edition. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Rossi, Lipsey, & Freeman, Evaluation: A Systematic Approach. 

Additional Course Materials:

There are weekly readings that are required for the course that will be made available electronically and may be downloaded from Canvas. Access to Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint will also be useful but other similar programs are acceptable.

Topics:

Week 1 - Intro to Evaluation

Week 2 - Logic Models; Program Theory

Week 3 - Implementation Evaluation. Validity & Measurement

Week 4 - Outcome Evaluations, Validity, & Causal Inference

Week 5 - Quasi-Experimental Research, Mixed-Methods, & Qualitative Research

Week 6- Qualitative Techniques Cont'd: Focus Groups & Observations

Week 7 - Data Visualization

Week 8 - Presenting & communicating research; Report Writing

Instructor(s):

Dr. Brian Kisida, Associate Professor in the Truman School of Government & Public Affairs at University of Missouri 

Length:

8-weeks

Department: 

Truman School of Government and Public Affairs 

Credit:

Continuing Education

Audience:

Adult Learners/Individuals in the Nonprofit and Public Sector

Accommodations

University of Missouri Extension complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need accommodations in connection with participation in an educational program or you need materials in an alternate format, please notify your instructor as soon as possible so that necessary arrangements can be made.

Cancellations and Refund Requests

Access MU Extension’s Course Cancellation and Refund Policy for details.