The second benefit is compelling in the field of human services where funds for evaluation grow scarce
The last two examples in the previous section illustrate how the program staff members became increasingly cognisant of the program objectives[ In the case of the family preservation program they took active roles in the evaluation of their own program beginning with the conceptualization of the features to be evaluated
With the evaluator’s supportive coaching social workers in the program developed outcome measurements based on the program objectives
Then they collected data using the instruments they had developed
When the evaluator presented the findings the social workers showed a sophisticated understanding of the relationships between the critical variables and their implications
The agency’s administrators and other program managers found the evaluation results closely relevant to their operation and useful for the program realignment
In addition the program staff demonstrably increased its knowledge of and skills in evaluation strategies (Smith, 1995)