This subject was previously known as SOCX818 Evaluation and the Policy Process.
Evaluation research is among the most common, and possibly most useful, forms of applied social science. Evaluation employs research methodologies to systematically assess a project, policy, program or social needs to set criteria. This unit surveys key topics and practice-based skills widely used in evaluation research that have potential applications in the public, non-profit, and for-profit private sectors. As this field of research is expansive, the unit primarily draws on case studies from social policy - public interventions that offer protection from social ills and are among those that impact most on everyday life - to provide focus for class sessions and assessments. Over the course of this unit, you will gain a clear understanding of key elements of evaluation research design, as well as the potential uses and misuses of this form of applied social policy research.