The formative evaluation consultation and systems technique (FORECAST) approach to evaluating complex community programs is described as an empowerment evaluation strategy. First, empowerment evaluation is defined and contrasted with more-traditional approaches, such as experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Then FORECAST is described, illustrating how it was applied in four community projects. One of the projects is used to demonstrate the application of FORECAST evaluation in programs addressing the prevention of first-time male perpetration of sexual violence.
Altman, D.G., & Goodman, R.M. (2001). Community intervention. In A. Baum, T. A. Revenson, & J. E. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of health psychology (pp. 591-612). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
2.
Cook, T.D., & Campbell, D.T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design & analysis issues for field settings. Boston : Houghton Mifflin.
3.
Fetterman, D.M., & Wandersman, A. (2005). Empowerment evaluation principles in practice. New York: Guilford Press.
4.
Goodman, R.M. (2000a). Bridging the gap in effective program implementation . Journal of Community Psychology, 28(3), 309-321.
5.
Goodman, R.M. (2000b). Evaluation of community-based programs: An alternative perspective. In N. Schneiderman, M. A. Speers, J. M. Silva, H. Tomes, & J. H. Gentry (Eds.), Integrating behavioral and social sciences with public health (pp. 293-306). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
6.
Goodman, R.M., & Wandersman, A. (1994) FORECAST: A formative approach to evaluating the CSAP community partnerships. Journal of Community Psychology, CSAP special issue, 6-25.
7.
Green L. W., & Mercer, S.L. (2001). Can public health researchers and agencies reconcile the push from funding bodies and the pull from communities ? American Journal of Public Health, 91(12), 1926-1929.
Hollister, R.G., & Hill, J. (1995). Problems in the evaluation of community-wide initiatives . In J. P. Connell, A. C. Kubisch, L. B. Schorr, & C. H. Weiss (Eds.), New approaches to evaluating community initiatives: Concepts, methods, and context (pp. 127-172). Washington, DC: Aspen Institute.
10.
Kumpfer, K.L. (1993). Measurements in prevention: A manual on selecting and using instruments to evaluate prevention programs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention , Technical Report 8. Rockville, MD: Government Printing Office.
11.
Rosen, L., Manor, O., Engelhard, D., & Zucker, D. (2006). In defense of the randomized controlled trial for health promotion research. American Journal of Public Health, 96(7), 1181-1186.
12.
Scheirer, M.A. (1996). A user's guide to program templates: A new tool for evaluating program content [Special issue]. New Directions for Evaluation, 72.
13.
Scriven, M. (2005). Book review: Empowerment evaluation principles in practice. American Journal of Evaluation, 26(3), 415-417.
14.
Weiss, C.H. (1995). Nothing as practical as good theory: Exploring theory-based evaluation for comprehensive community initiatives for children and families. In J. P. Connell, A. C. Kubisch, L. B. Schorr, & C. H. Weiss (Eds.), New approaches to evaluating community initiatives: Concepts, methods, and context (pp. 127-172). Washington, DC: Aspen Institute.
15.
W.K. KelloggFoundation Logic Model Development Guide. (2004). Available from http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=101&CID=281&CatID=281&ItemID=2813669&NID=20&LanguageID=0
