In an attempt to understand the role that program evaluation plays in a community mental health center (CMHC), a conceptual framework of the organizational context in which CMHC self-evaluation efforts occur is presented. The conceptual framework consists of three major propositions. (I) Five dimensions of a CMHC are proposed to have significant effects on the center's evaluation process: research capabilitY, administrative support for evaluation, organizational structure, readiness for innovation, and the environmental context of the center. (2) The evaluation process is perceived to consist of three tYpes of evaluation activities corresponding to the input, process, and output elements of the center. (3) The five organizational parameters are proposed to differentially affect the individual components of the evaluation process.
Stemming from the proposed conceptual framework, a theoretical model of the effects of organizational parameters on the evaluation process was tested on a purposive sample of CMHCs. The results were generally supportive of the model, indicating that the role of evaluation in CMHCs is not a simple or singular phenomenon. Specific conclusions and implications for policy and research arenas are discussed.
References
1.
ATTKISSON, C. C.
and A. BROSKOWSKI (1978) "Evaluation and the emerging human service concept," in C. C. Attkisson, W. A. Hargreaves, M. J. Horowitz, and J. E. Sorenson (eds.) Evaluation of Human Service Programs. New York: Academic Press.
2.
BAKER, F.
(1974) "From community mental health to human service ideology."Amer. J. of Public Health64, 6:576-581.
3.
BAKER, F.
and H. C. SCHULBERG (1967) "The development of a community mental health ideology scale."Community Mental Health J. 3, 3:216-225.
4.
BENNIS, W. G.
(1962) "Towards a 'truly' scientific management: the concept of organizational health."General Systems7:269-282.
5.
BENTLER, P. M.Multivariate analysis with latent variables: Causal modeling
. Annual Review of Psychology, 1980, 31,419-456.
6.
BENTLER, P. M.
and D. G. BONETT (1980) "Significance tests and goodness-of-fit in the analysis of covariance structures."Psych. Bull.
7.
BROSKOWSKI, A.
(1976) "Management information systems for planning and evaluation in human services," in H. C. Schulberg and F. Baker (eds.) Program Evaluation in the Health Fields. New York: Human Sciences Press.
8.
CARLSON, R. W.
(1979) "Pouring conceptual foundations: a utilization role and process for evaluation research," in H. C. Schulberg and J. M. Jerrell (eds.) The Evaluator and Management. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
9.
CIARLO, J.
(1977) "Program evaluation and decision making," in I. Davidoff, M. Guttentag, and J. Offutt (eds.) Evaluating Community Mental Health Services. National Institute of Mental Health, Staff College.
10.
CYERT, R. M.
and J. G. MARCH (1968) A Behavioral Theory of the Firm. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
11.
DAVIDOFF, I.
, M. GUTTENTAG, and J. OFFUTT [eds.] (1977) Evaluating Community Mental Health Services. National Institute of Mental Health, Staff College.
12.
DAVIS, H.
and S. SALASIN (1975) "The utilization of evaluation," in E. L. Struening and M. Guttentag (eds.) Handbook of Evaluation Research, Vol. 1. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
13.
EMERY, F. E.
, and E. L. TRIST (1965) "The causal texture of organizational environments."Human Relations18:21-32.
14.
FAIRWEATHER, G. W.
, D. H. SANDERS, and L. G. TORNATZKY (1974) Creating Change in Mental Health Organizations. New York: Pergamon.
15.
GABARRO, J. J.
(1973) "Organizational adaptation to environmental change," pp 196-215 in F. Baker (ed.) Organizational Systems. Homewood, IL: Irwin.
16.
GARAGLIANO, C. F. (1974) "Mental health program evaluation: attitudes, culture, and performance." Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles.
17.
General Accounting Office, Program Analysis Division
(1980) "Federal evaluation management and accountability policy."Washington, DC: Author.
18.
GREENBLATT, M.
, M. R. SHARAF, and E. M. STONE (1971) Dynamics of Institutional Change. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.
19.
HAGEDORN, H. J.
, K. J. BECK, S. F. NEUBERT, and S. H. WERLIN (1976) A Working Manual of Simple Program Evaluation Techniques for Community Mental Health Centers. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health, 1976.
20.
HARGREAVES, W. A.
, C. C. ATTKISSON, M. H. McINTYRE, and L. M. SIEGAL (1975) "Current applications of evaluation," in J. Zusman and C. R. Wurster (eds.) Program Evaluation. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath.
21.
HAVELOCK, R. G.
(1969) Planning for Utilization of Knowledge. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.
22.
HAVELOCK, R. G.
and D. A. LINGWOOD (1973) R & D Utilization Strategies and Functions: An Analytical Comparison of Four Systems. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
23.
Human Interaction Research Institute
(1976) Putting Knowledge to Use: A Distillation of the Literature Regarding Knowledge Transfer and Change. Los Angeles, CA: Author.
24.
JAMES, G.
(1962) "Evaluation in public health practice."Amer. J. of Public Health52,7:1145-1154.
25.
KATZ, D.
and R. L. KAHN (1978) The Social Psychology of Organizations. New York: John Wiley.
26.
KIRKHART, K. E. (1979) 'Program evaluation in community mental health centers." Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan.
27.
KOROLOFF, N.
(1979) Teaching Program Evaluation: A Guide to Instructional Resources. Portland, OR: Regional Research Institute for Human Services.
28.
LAWRENCE, P. R.
, and J. W. LORSCH (1967) Organization and Environment. Boston: Division of Research, Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.
29.
LEVINE, S.
, and P. E. WHITE (1961) "Exchange as a conceptual framework for the study of interorganizational relationships."Admin. Sci. Q.5:583-601.
30.
LYNTON, R. P.
(1969) "Linking an innovative subsystem into system."Admin. Sci. Q.14:398-416.
31.
MAJCHRZAK, A.
(1980) "Implications of CMHCs' program evaluation experience for future mental health legislation." Presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of CMHCs, San Francisco.
32.
MAJCHRZAK, A.
and C. WINDLE (1980) "Patterns of program evaluation in community mental health centers."Evaluation Rev. 4, 5:677-691.
33.
McINTYRE, M. H.
, C. C. ATTKISSON, and T. W. KELLER (1974) "Components of program evaluation capability in community mental health centers," in W. A. Hargreaves et al. (eds.) Resource Materials for Community Mental Health Program Evaluation, Part 1. San Francisco, CA: National Institute of Mental Health.
34.
MITCHELL, R.
(1977) "The dimensions of an evaluation system for community mental health centers," in R. D. Coursey (ed.) Program Evaluation for Mental Health. New York: Grune & Stratton.
35.
National Institute of Mental Health
(1977) Guidelines for Program Evaluation: PL 94-63. Rockville, MD: Author.
36.
National Institute of Mental Health
(1972) Planning for Creative Change in Mental Health Services: A Distillation of Principles on Research Utilization, Vol. 1. Rockville, MD: Author.
37.
Organization for Applied Science in Society (1979) An Evaluation of the NIMH Regional Office Technical Assistance Program to CMHCs. Contract 278-78-0074, June.
38.
PATTON, M. Q.
et al. (1975) In Search of Impact: An Analysis of the Utilization of Federal Health Evaluation Research. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Center for Social Research.
39.
Philadelphia Health Management Corporation (1978) A Review of a CMHC's Evaluation Activities: Phase One, 3 volumes. Final Report, NIMH Contract 278-77-0067 MH. Philadelphia: Author.
40.
ROSSI, P. H.
, H. E. FREEMAN, and S. R. WRIGHT(1978) Evaluation: A Systematic Approach. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
41.
SCHULBERG, H. C.
and F. BAKER (1975) The Mental Hospital and Human Services. New York: Behavioral Publications.
42.
SCHULBERG, H. C.
and F. BAKER (1969) "Program evaluation and the implementation of research findings," in H. C. Schulberg, A. Sheldon, and F. Baker (eds.) Program Evaluation in the Health Fields. New York: Behavioral Publications.
43.
SUCHMAN, E. A.
(1967) Evaluative Research. New York: Russell Sage.
44.
TERREBERRY, S.
(1968) "The evolution of organizational environments."Admin. Sci. Q.12:590-613.
45.
THOMPSON, J. D.
(1967) Organizations in Action. New York: McGraw-Hill.
46.
TRIPODI, T.
, P. FELLIN, and I. EPSTEIN (1971) Social Program Evaluation. Itasca, IL: Peacock.
47.
WATSON, G.
(1973) "Resistance to Change," in G. Zaltman (ed.) Processes and Phenomena of Social Change. New York: John Wiley.
48.
WEISS, C. H.
(1972) Evaluative Research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
49.
WEISS, C. H.
(1971) Organizational Constraints on Evaluation Research. Columbia University: Bureau of Applied Social Research.
