PREV 700
3 credits
Public Program Management, Policy Development, and Performance Measurement
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation.
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of public sector management, policy development, and performance measurement. The course focuses in part on the role and importance of program evaluation and other performance monitoring mechanisms in informing policy and successfully delivering programs and services. The course places program evaluation within the broader context of public sector management and accountability and introduces the general conceptual framework for the whole graduate certificate program.
PREV 710
3 credits
Program Evaluation Principles and Processes
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation
Corequisite(s): PREV 700 (Pre- or Corequisite)
This course introduces students to the analytical and systematic processes used in program evaluation. It introduces the importance of logic models, examines the various approaches and research methods used in program evaluation and performance measurement, and critically examines the strengths and limitations of these methods. The course introduces the notions of program ‘evaluability’, performance indicators, program audit, output measurement, and impact assessment. Students will critically review several evaluation studies.
PREV 720
3 credits
Evaluation Design and Issues in Program Evaluation
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation, PREV 700.
Corequisite(s): PREV 710 (Pre- or Corequisite)
This course introduces students to the design process in program evaluation including the selection of an appropriate research methodology. It provides students with the skills and knowledge to design evaluation studies and other performance assessment tools. Students will be required to develop several evaluation designs. The course also examines how issues arise from various stakeholder agendas including scope, processes, timelines, and data, as well as other issues relating to the implementation and management of evaluation studies.
PREV 730
3 credits
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation, PREV 700, PREV 710.
Corequisite(s): PREV 720 (Pre- or Corequisites)
This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations and methodologies of cost-benefit analysis and examines the strengths and limitations of such analyses in the public sector. In particular, students will learn the economic basis for this type of analysis, valuing benefits and costs in primary and secondary markets, discounting future benefits and costs, contingent valuation with uncertainties, and valuing impact from observed behaviour. Students will learn about how to identify and measure the social impacts or outcomes of programs, their intended and unintended results, and present and future strategic opportunities. The course teaches students the skills and methods for designing and conducting cost-benefit studies and interpreting their findings.
PREV 740
2 credits
Applied Evaluation Techniques: Lab Exercises
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation, PREV 700, 710, 720.
Corequisite(s): PREV 730 (Pre- or Corequisite)
In this course students apply the techniques and skills they have gained through previous program courses through the completion of a number of case studies and problem-solving exercises. Students will apply their learning to cases and situations drawn from various public sector areas.
PREV 750
1 credit
Professional Practice in Program Evaluation
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation, PREV 700, PREV 710.
This course offers the student an opportunity to explore and practice the personal and interpersonal competencies that professional evaluators are expected to master. This course also emphasizes the importance of values and ethical behaviour and professional standards in conducting evaluations. This course touches upon the human side of evaluations, how competing views and interests are often at play, how misunderstandings and conflicts may arise, and how one may deal with them in order to mitigate their adverse effect.
