An early stage evaluation model for assessing the effectiveness of comprehensive community initiatives: three case studies in Nebraska

In an attempt to more effectively meet the needs of children and families, many communities across the country have implemented new types of service i ntervention systems. These systems emphasize more comprehensive and integra ted service delivery approaches and more community-based modes of decision- making. There has also been a renewed focus on the need to establish the ac countability of community interventions through the use of results-based pe rformance appraisals techniques. The present paper presents an early stage evaluation model that was used to provide a framework to assess the effecti veness of three comprehensive community initiative projects that were put i n place in the state of Nebraska in 1996. The challenges of evaluating thes e types of broadbased initiatives as well as the pitfalls that must be over come in attempts to utilize result-based performance evaluation approaches are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.