Toward Evaluation in Public Services: Getting Past the Barriers.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Program Evaluation
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Evaluating public programs, particularly in mental health, faces significant obstacles.
• Commonly cited barriers include regulatory concerns (HIPAA, IRB), perceived expertise, and resource limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the frequently encountered "reasons not to" conduct program evaluations.
• To explore the underlying values that support these barriers.
• To propose strategies for overcoming these impediments to evaluation research.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of stated reasons for not conducting evaluations.
• Examination of the values and assumptions underpinning these reasons.
• Development of potential counter-arguments and facilitators for evaluation.

Main Results:

• Categorization of common barriers into distinct themes (e.g., regulatory, knowledge-based, resource-based).
• Identification of the implicit values (e.g., efficiency, certainty) that justify these barriers.
• Outline of potential strategies to address each category of barrier.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the "reasons not to" is crucial for advancing program evaluation.
• Addressing these barriers requires acknowledging underlying values and developing tailored responses.
• Facilitating evaluation research can improve the effectiveness of public mental health initiatives.