CGA Assessment & Evaluation Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which evaluation framework emphasizes stakeholder participation throughout the entire evaluation process?
- Goal-free evaluation
- Participatory evaluation (Correct answer)
- Theory-based evaluation
- Utilization-focused evaluation
Correct answer: Participatory evaluation
Participatory evaluation actively involves program stakeholders — including beneficiaries — in designing, conducting, and interpreting the evaluation.
Question 2: A logic model's 'assumptions' box refers to:
- The resources available to run the program
- Conditions believed necessary for the program to work (Correct answer)
- The long-term changes expected in the community
- Activities that will be implemented with grant funds
Correct answer: Conditions believed necessary for the program to work
Assumptions are the conditions and beliefs that must hold true for the program's theory of change to produce the intended outcomes.
Question 3: Which data collection instrument is best suited for capturing nuanced stakeholder perspectives on program implementation challenges?
- Standardized survey questionnaire
- Administrative records review
- Semi-structured interview (Correct answer)
- Pre/post knowledge test
Correct answer: Semi-structured interview
Semi-structured interviews allow evaluators to explore emerging themes while ensuring key topics are covered, capturing rich qualitative data.
Question 4: Under the OMB Uniform Guidance, which threshold triggers requirements for a single audit?
- $250,000 in federal expenditures
- $500,000 in federal expenditures
- $750,000 in federal expenditures (Correct answer)
- $1,000,000 in federal expenditures
Correct answer: $750,000 in federal expenditures
Organizations expending $750,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year must conduct a single audit per 2 CFR Part 200.
Question 5: An evaluator uses propensity score matching to create comparable groups. What does propensity score represent?
- The probability of treatment assignment given observed covariates (Correct answer)
- The average treatment effect for the population
- The correlation between outcome and treatment variables
- The ratio of treated to untreated participants
Correct answer: The probability of treatment assignment given observed covariates
Propensity score is the estimated probability that a unit receives treatment given its observed pre-treatment characteristics, used to balance comparison groups.
Question 6: Which type of reliability refers to the consistency of results across different evaluators scoring the same data?
- Test-retest reliability
- Internal consistency reliability
- Inter-rater reliability (Correct answer)
- Parallel forms reliability
Correct answer: Inter-rater reliability
Inter-rater reliability measures the degree to which two or more independent raters produce the same scores when evaluating the same material.
Question 7: A grant program measures 'number of participants who obtained employment within 6 months' as a key metric. This is an example of:
- An input indicator
- A process indicator
- An output indicator
- An outcome indicator (Correct answer)
Correct answer: An outcome indicator
Outcome indicators measure the changes or benefits resulting from the program, such as participants achieving employment after receiving services.
CGA Assessment & Evaluation Methods 3
Which evaluation framework emphasizes stakeholder participation throughout the entire evaluation process?