A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning: Theory and Case Examples provides a step-by-step process to guide evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet feasible, program evaluation—from start to design—within any context. No book currently on the market delineate the required steps for preparing to conduct an evaluation. The co-editors of this text developed a model to guide the complex process of planning for program evaluations in a variety of settings. This model, entitled Evaluation Planning Incorporating Context (EPIC), builds on previous work by providing a practical, applied step-by-step process for planning a program evaluation in any setting. Contributing authors then use the EPIC model to describe an evaluation process that they followed in a variety of settings. The EPIC model and the case examples presented in this book provide evaluators with the conceptual tools and a framework for thinking about the pre-evaluation tasks that may be necessary for a successful, useful, and informative evaluation.

- Presents a new evaluation planning model that provides a step-by step process for how to plan for a program evaluation in any context;

- Introduces students to the issues in planning for an evaluation within selected contexts using case studies;

- Focuses on planning prior to design by providing practical guidance to plan an evaluation from the start, before a design can or has been determined.