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Ideally, there should be some useful relationship between Those processes go well beyond the individual who may the process of managing a program and the process of be identified as the program manager. To be realistic, the evaluating it. We rarely find that ideal in the real world. concept of program management must embrace all those The purpose here is to outline what managers and evaluadecisions and actions which impinge on the program, from tors must do if they are to work together and to suggest whatever source. The Congress is engaged in program some reasons why it is essential that they do so. management when it enacts, amends, or repeals laws govIt may be useful to consider, first, what is meant by the erning the program or governing the actions of people who term "program evaluation." It is a much abused label and, administer or participate in the program. The president and unfortunately, conveys many different things to many difthe Office of Management and Budget (OMB) engage in ferent people. In addition, because of a relatively brief but program management when they recommend legislation checkered history that includes a substantial number of bad and funding levels for a program, or promulgate rules program evaluations, it carries a lot of excess baggage. which affect it. State and local governments engage in proBecause of the fuzziness which seems unavoidable in any gram management when they exercise their discretion to effort to "define" program evaluation, it seems better to decide whether and how the program will function in their approach the task by describing what it does-or at least jurisdictions. aims to do. For purposes of this discussion, let us agree that Given this broad concept of program management, a program-is a collection of activities intended to achieve a where should the linkage with program evaluation occur? common purpose. The process of program evaluation, Should the evaluator seek to affect the real world of the then, is an effort to judge the extent and efficiency of acCongress? the Executive Office of the President? the agencomplishment and to find ways of improving it. cy head? state and local government? or the person charged A "good" program evaluation, like a "good" program, with administering the program? The answer is any or all of is one which accomplishes its purposes with reasonable effithe above, depending on the issue or issues being addressed. ciency. The common purpose sought by any program inThe evaluator should seek to have the results of his work volves making some change in the real world. That is, the used by whoever is in the position of making a decision to intended results are external to the program. The same is which the evaluation is relevant. true of program evaluation. An evaluation may meet all the If the efficiency of internal operating procedures is at standards of rigorous design, careful, data collection and issue, the evaluator must connect with the program adminanalysis, and a beautifully written report. If it does not afistrator. If the adequacy of a law governing the program is fect the real world, if it is not used, it has failed the test at issue, the evaluator must face the fact of a multiplicity of which evaluators themselves apply to the programs they decision makers, including the agency head, OMB, the evaluate. president, and the Congress. Each of these sets of potential But the real world which the evaluator usually seeks to users has needs which differ. The evaluator who wishes his affect is the program itself. He does so by affecting the work to affect the real world of the program must be attendecisions which are being made about that program. It is tive to those differing needs. If those needs are in conflict, this central purpose of most program evaluation activity and they may well be, the evaluator must seek ways of which necessitates its linkage to program management. reconciling them. Failing that, the evaluator must reach a Generally speaking, program evaluation serves little purpose if it exists in a world unto itself, isolated from the process of program management. Harry S. Havens has been assistant comptroller general for program evaluation of the U.S. General Accounting Office since April *This article was adapted from the Roger W. Jones Lecture, 1980. He was director of GAO's program analysis division in delivered by the author at American University on February 27, various positions in the Bureau of the Budget and Office of Man1981. agement and Budget. |
