Government Performance Assessment

This course provides an understanding of the principles and practices involved in evaluating public sector institutions, equipping students with knowledge and tools critical to organizational performance and accountability efforts. The class will examine the critical planning and design stages of an evaluation, exploring the trade-offs encountered in the work to determine the researchable questions, scope, and methodologies that ensure the best use of resources. Discussion will include the assessment of the sufficiency evidence against explicit criteria, as well as the importance of independence, objectivity, and the ethical considerations of conducting this work from inside and outside of an organization. Students will engage in classroom discussion, prepare assessments relevant to real world policy issues, and present on the benefits and limitations of their planning.