Using the case study approach for improved programme evaluations

This paper discusses the case study approach to programme evaluation in the human services and its multiple benefits to the evaluator and to the various stakeholders in the programme being evaluated. Of particular importance is the use of a case study to examine programme processes which then inform the design of the outcome study of programme effects. Following a brief overview of the case study approach in research and its applications, the authors delineate its benefits and illustrate these using the evaluation of a model programme designed to reunify families separated by a child's placement in foster care. The results of the case study more clearly defined the programme's processes for both the researchers and the programme staff, and illuminated the desired outcomes which then were delineated in measurable terms. The result was a design for an outcome evaluation that was consistent with programme goals, processes, and intended benefits. The case study also facilitated communication and collaboration between the researchers and the programme's stakeholders, provided important information for agency decision‐makers, and contributed greatly to the potential for the success of the overall evaluation.