Formative evaluation - Quality Assurance - page 299

4. Then, prepare an evaluation report summarizing the
evaluations; propose revisions to the training module.
5. Get the study monitoring committee as well as
management approval of these revisions.
6. The sixth step is to utilize the feedback for program
improvement.
7. Then, continue the pilot (with further adaptations as
required), until management is satisfi ed that the training
module meets the organization's needs.

The essence of this process is the negotiation between the
evaluator and program manager. This negotiation works
toward a settlement that takes into account both
methodological rigor on the one hand, and program goals
and values on the other.

12.6 Management's prerogative

Management has an overarching role in a formative evaluation.
That role is to specify the overall goal, and level of effort, for
the evaluation. What does management want from this
evaluation? There is a range of possibilities here. Does
management want the most credible evaluative report possible?
Or does management want the most blatant problems in the
pilot project to be corrected? The evaluator must negotiate
with management to determine the actual goal.
Once management's goal is set, the evaluator can
recommend approaches to aspects of the formative evaluative
design, such as the following:

￿ ￿ ￿ ￿ ￿

■ parallel group or cross-over design;
■ recruitment of trainees;
■ random assignment;