ABSTRACT
Local, state, and federal governments are continually endeavoring to address changing social conditions with social policies that improve the general welfare of families and children. This social change paradigm links social issues to policies and program implementation in a reciprocal manner, with circular causality in which different evaluation modalities are used to enhance the information flow necessary for critical decision-making. This chapter describes the nature and pitfalls of the curious relationship. It provides a cautionary note about the multiple roles of evaluators, and some practical ways of improving the usefulness of evaluation data. Evaluation is a scientific process for generating specific information to guide policy, administrative, and judicial decisions. Policymakers are usually lawyers or administrators rather than social scientists; evaluators are almost always social scientists. Social policies in a democratic society are promulgated primarily through a contentious and adversarial process, which includes an examination of alternatives.
