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Government Evaluation

GAO Week: GAO’s 100th Celebration: Examples of How Agencies have Addressed Some Evaluation Challenges by Elaine Vaurio

Hello, I am Elaine Vaurio, a Senior Analyst with the Center for Evaluation Methods and Issues (CEMI) in the Applied Research and Methods (ARM) team at the U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO). I have proudly been associated with evaluation at GAO for 30 years!  GAO has produced many hidden gems over the years that I …

GAO Week: GAO’s 100th Celebration: Examples of How Agencies have Addressed Some Evaluation Challenges by Elaine Vaurio Read More »

GAO Week: An Updated Classic on Key Terms and Concepts: Using the 4 “Ps” and an “I” by Terell P. Lasane

Greetings Evaluators. My name is Terell P. Lasane, and I lead the Center for Evaluation Methods and Issues (CEMI) at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Our center is located in the Applied Research and Methods (ARM) Team and operates to improve the quality of evaluation information and evidence used in federal decision-making. Out team offers …

GAO Week: An Updated Classic on Key Terms and Concepts: Using the 4 “Ps” and an “I” by Terell P. Lasane Read More »

GAO Week: Using Evidence and Rigor to Answer Complex Questions and Assess Important Programs by Lawrance L. Evans, Jr.

Good people doing good work, Lawrance L. Evans, Jr. here—Managing Director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Applied Research and Methods team. My team houses the agency’s technical and methodological specialists with expertise ranging from cost-benefit analysis and data analytics to survey methods and future-oriented analyses. As GAO ingests important questions from Congress, our network …

GAO Week: Using Evidence and Rigor to Answer Complex Questions and Assess Important Programs by Lawrance L. Evans, Jr. Read More »

GAO Week: Ensuring National Security-Related Evaluations Are Fair, Objective, and Balanced by Charles Michael Johnson, Jr.

Hello, my name is Charles Michael Johnson Jr., Managing Director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Homeland Security and Justice Team.  During my nearly four decades with GAO, I have had the privilege of working on some very high-profile national issues that involve many different views. At GAO, a non-partisan organization, we focus on the …

GAO Week: Ensuring National Security-Related Evaluations Are Fair, Objective, and Balanced by Charles Michael Johnson, Jr. Read More »

GAO Week: Complexity and Coherence in Government, Evidence, and Evaluation Methods by Steven Putansu

Hello evaluators! I am Steven Putansu, an assistant director and methodologist in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Applied Research & Methods team. GAO follows federal dollars everywhere they are spent, which provides many opportunities to apply evaluation across a wide variety of contexts. I have worked across the agency, including work on education, defense, immigration, …

GAO Week: Complexity and Coherence in Government, Evidence, and Evaluation Methods by Steven Putansu Read More »

GAO Week: Finding Our Roots and Bonds, AEA at 35 and GAO at 100 by Valerie Jean Caracelli

Colleagues, Happy Anniversary! Each anniversary is a time when we take stock of what brings us to today and where we are headed tomorrow. This week we celebrate the close collegial relationship between the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) throughout these 35 years. This week’s entries will address GAO’s …

GAO Week: Finding Our Roots and Bonds, AEA at 35 and GAO at 100 by Valerie Jean Caracelli Read More »

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Adapting Evaluations of Governmental Public Health and Behavioral Health Programs During Covid-19 by Lisa Bowers

Hello! I’m Lisa Bowers, MS, Research Specialist at the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. Our center is an outreach and research unit working with local, state and federal agencies to provide consultation, coordination, and evaluation in a variety of areas. I primarily work on projects in public health and behavioral health for the State …

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Adapting Evaluations of Governmental Public Health and Behavioral Health Programs During Covid-19 by Lisa Bowers Read More »

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Research Clearinghouses Can Help Guide Government Program Evaluations by Steven Lize

Hi, I’m Steven Lize, program chair of the Government Evaluation TIG. I currently work as a technical assistance officer on the Results First initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Before that, I worked as a senior legislative analyst for the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability evaluating state programs. Evaluations in …

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Research Clearinghouses Can Help Guide Government Program Evaluations by Steven Lize Read More »

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Mind the Gap: Considerations When Using Scientific Publications in Evaluations by Melissa Day

Hello! My name is Melissa Day, Ph.D., and I’m a scientific analyst with Clarivate’s Web of Science consulting team. I wrangle mostly publication-based data for government, corporate, and academic clients. For many government research grants, scientific publications are one indicator of success and impact. Funders often want to identify and promote grantee results, especially highly-cited …

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Mind the Gap: Considerations When Using Scientific Publications in Evaluations by Melissa Day Read More »

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Striving for Balance as the Crises Keep Coming: Working in Evaluation in Public Health in 2020 by Kathryn Lowerre

My name is Kathryn Lowerre and I serve as the evaluation team lead in the Epidemiology and Response Division’s Overdose Prevention Program at the New Mexico Department of Health.  At the end of March 2020, I became part of the health department’s COVID-19 response, first as a case investigator and more recently helping support a …

Gov’t Eval TIG Week: Striving for Balance as the Crises Keep Coming: Working in Evaluation in Public Health in 2020 by Kathryn Lowerre Read More »