ABSTRACT
Public administrators often ask questions that begin “how many,” “how much,” “how efficient,” “how effective,” “how adequate,” and “why.” They may want to learn something about a group of people, how much a program will cost, or what it can accomplish for each dollar spent. They need to decide how serious a problem is, whether a policy or administrative action solved a problem, what distinguishes more effective programs from less effective ones, and whether clients are satisfied with program performance. They are accountable to politicians, parents, citizens, recipients of program services, and the courts for providing public services. Public and nonprofit organization employees may also be accountable to funding agencies.
