Integrating participatory elements into an effectiveness evaluation

This article describes an effectiveness evaluation of an intensive case management intervention coordinated by a non-profit organization in a midsize Midwest City. As an effectiveness evaluation, the primary evaluation question was causal in nature; the key task of the evaluative study was to establish and probe connections between the intervention and positive psychosocial outcomes for youth and families. The evaluation process described in this article differs from most effectiveness evaluations in that participatory evaluation elements were integrated into the evaluation design, so that stakeholders provided practical knowledge to guide study decision-making. Therefore, in this evaluation, stakeholder contributions represent substantive ones that directly shaped the conduct of the effectiveness evaluation. The article employs a first-person evaluator narrative to retrospectively detail the process of involving stakeholders and ends with a discussion of issues relevant to involving stakeholders in an effectiveness evaluation and highlights areas in need of further study.