Experiments in evaluation capacity building: Enhancing brain disorders research impact in Ontario

This paper is the introductory paper on a forum on evaluation capacity building for enhancing impacts of research on brain disorders. It describes challenges and opportunities of building evaluation capacity among community-based organizations in Ontario involved in enhancing brain health and supporting people living with a brain disorder. Using an example of a capacity building program called the “Evaluation Support Program”, which is run by the Ontario Brain Institute, this forum discusses multiple themes including evaluation capacity building, evaluation culture and evaluation methodologies appropriate for evaluating complex community interventions. The goal of the Evaluation Support Program is to help community-based organizations build the capacity to demonstrate the value that they offer in order to improve, sustain, and spread their programs and activities. One of the features of this forum is that perspectives on the Evaluation Support Program are provided by multiple stakeholders, including the community-based organizations, evaluation team members involved in capacity building, thought leaders in the fields of evaluation capacity building and evaluation culture, and the funders.     

小组工作在改善大学新生个人评价中的作用研究

小组工作是社会工作的主要方法之一。以内蒙古工业大学的30名学生作为研究对象,其中15名作为控制组,对另外15名进行提高个人评价的为期6次的小组工作,使用个人评价量表得分作为衡量变化的标准。对比实验组和控制组得分,结果显示小组工作在改善大学新生的个人评价方面有积极的作用。     

The accountability gap: The use of preliminary and evaluative research in Spain

In a context where it is of increasing importance to optimize resources, to refine the definition of the environment and to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI), preliminary research and evaluation in PR have not evolved significantly in the past two decades. There are very few publications examining the Spanish case and the results of this study indicate that these practices are uncommon. There is a slight preference for research prior to the development of the campaign at the expense of evaluative research. Furthermore, there is a notable discrepancy between the results of the Spanish study and the published studies from other countries: perception audits (outtakes) and views (outcomes) are undertaken more frequently than publicity audits (outputs).     

Implementing condom distribution programs in the United States: Qualitative insights from program planners

With the growing number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people (15–24) in the US, condom distribution programs (CDP) remain an integral part of prevention strategies. The objective of the study was to gather qualitative insights from CDP planners to inform effective CDP implementation. Ten semi-structured interviews with program planners were conducted via telephone (response rate of 58.8%). Condom distribution channels included site-based distribution (n = 6), web-based distribution (n = 4), and distribution via Uber (n = 1). Site-based distribution programs had distribution networks ranging from 100 to 3500 sites in a given jurisdiction. Planners of site-based CDPs experienced challenges with ensuring quality control at sites and supplying condoms to sites. Web-based CDPs allow individuals to order free condoms online. These CDP planners reported growing demand for this discreet service, particularly among young people. Web-based CDPs leveraged e-mail surveys to collect data on sexual behavior and behavior change, yielding response rates as high as 63%. All CDPs emphasized the importance of supplying a variety of products. Total supplies distributed (male condoms, internal condoms, lubricant sachets) ranged from 16,000 to 45 million per year. Novel channels of distribution should be explored to ensure reach to adolescents and young adults.     

The current state of evaluator education: A situation analysis and call to action

Education is critically important for the maintenance and growth of programme evaluation and its emergence as a profession. This position paper presents evaluator education as an initiative and provides a foundation for its evaluation. In it, the authors use Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model to frame a review of the literature and practice. We follow this analysis of the current state of evaluator education in formal settings, with discussion of its implications, and directions for future research and action. Our analysis suggests that there is much work to be done to understand the needs for evaluator education, to delineate standards for quality in both education and practice, to identify the inputs and processes most effective for addressing those needs, and to document its ultimate impacts. The paper provides a call to action for improving the quality, consistency, and integrity of this important work.     

Probabilistic evaluation of handwriting evidence: likelihood ratio for authorship

Summary.  The evaluation of handwritten characters that are selected from an anonymous letter and written material from a suspect is an open problem in forensic science. The individualization of handwriting is largely dependent on examiners who evaluate the characteristics in a qualitative and subjective way. Precise individual characterization of the shape of handwritten characters is possible through Fourier analysis: each handwritten character can be described through a set of variables such as the surface and harmonics as demonstrated by Marquis and co-workers in 2005. The assessment of the value of the evidence is performed through the derivation of a likelihood ratio for multivariate data. The methodology allows the forensic scientist to take into account the correlation between variables, and the non-constant variability within sources (i.e. individuals). Numerical procedures are implemented to handle the complexity and to compute the marginal likelihood under competing propositions.     

Application of control charts in analytic hierarchy process

Vendor rating can be done using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) by a single decision maker or a group of decision makers. This approach may suffer from some drawbacks including bias in estimation process. The proposed methodology in this paper involves estimation by a group on an individual basis following the principle of anonymity. A control chart is constructed with an upper control limit and a lower control limit. Implementation ofthiscontrol chart will take into account the dynamic nature of vendor performance and also can be used for continuous monitoring of the vendor performance. This procedure can be used for a single vendor as well as for multiple vendor rating.     

具有激励特征的供应商动态评价方法

在建立供应链合作关系之前,对供应商的评价、选择是企业的重要决策问题之一.本文首先提出了一套评价供应商的指标体系,并在应用一种无需一致性检验的方法G1法的基础上,提出具有激励特征的供应商动态评价方法,体现对不同时期供应商业绩改善的激励,以促进供应商不断提高业绩,更好地加强制造商与供应商的合作关系.     

Bagging方法在基于日常交易数据解决中小企业的信用评价问题中的应用

关于信用风险评价问题至今已经做了很多研究,各种信用评价模型与方法也已被开发.但是这些模型与方法几乎都是基于财务数据、股票价格或风险调研机构发表的各种调查结果.因为几乎所有的中小企业的财务数据都是非公开的,至今开发的信用评价模型与方法都不免成为无米之炊.为此,本文提出了一个新的途径,只需要根据销售额、顾客付款额、拖欠款额等日常业务处理数据来评价顾客企业的信用度.本文提出一个应用Bgging方法评价顾客信用的系统,其目的在于解决由于异常顾客数比正常顾客要少很多而带来的问题,提高分辨异常顾客的能力.本文所提出的信用评价系统将应用到一个实际企业的信用评价问题中,借此来验证系统的性能和效果.