ERIC Number: EJ1065993
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1359 6748
EISSN: N/A
A Framework for Outreach Evaluation Plans
Raven, Neil
Research in Post-Compulsory Education, v20 n2 p245-262 2015
Much importance is now placed upon the evaluation of outreach interventions by higher education institutions (HEIs). Accompanying this focus are requests that HEIs prepare evaluation plans. Yet, whilst some now have plans in place, others do not. One of the challenges for those preparing such documents is that official guidance is not prescriptive in what these should include. Instead, institutions are asked to "build" their own plans. Whilst there is a rationale to this approach, given the autonomy of HEIs, there is also a recognised value in the provision of case studies and the sharing of practice. Accordingly, this paper describes the framework developed by one institution in preparing its evaluation plan--a process informed by desk research. To assess the wider value of this "five-point framework", the views of practitioners in three other HEIs who are involved in their own institution's evaluation plans were sought. Evidence from these interviews confirms the value of the framework in terms of guiding the preparation of new plans and in informing existing ones. Whilst the paper lends support to the case for a structured approach to evaluation practice, it also acknowledges the limitations of planning and the need to recognise plans as working documents.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Outreach Programs, Higher Education, Evaluation Methods, Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, Models, Educational Administration, Data Collection, Interviews, Case Studies
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A