1973 Reviews

Review of Evaluating Social Programs: Theory, Practice, and Politics. Edited by Peter H. Rossi and Walter Williams. Quantitative Studies in Social Relations. New York: Seminar Press, 1972

Mullen, Edward Joseph

Evaluation research requires a blend of statistical, methodological, conceptual,
bureaucratic, political, and organizational skills. It occurs in a milieu of values,
and it is an integral component of social policy development. Its complexity
demands sophisticated organizational arrangements. The solo scientist with a
limited set of skills may operate effectively in the arena of basic research, but
alone would perform a feeble evaluation. These organizational requirements
brought Rossi and Williams together to edit Evaluating Social Programs.
The volume addresses the many facets of evaluation by bringing together a
number of previously published and unpublished papers by highly experienced
evaluators of social programs. The volume concludes with Rossi and Williams's
two papers, which directly address the problem of the organizational requirements
necessary to perform large-scale evaluation for social policy making.