ABSTRACT
Program outcomes are a vital evaluation tool, but to be used fairly they must be related to actual program processes and inputs because programs vary in the services they deliver even if they are described as being identical or similar. This chapter examines one aspect of the service delivery of a single family reunification program and in the process helped the management of the agency to understand the program better. Indeed, the use of outcome data as a program planning guide should always be tempered by examining what is inside the black box of service delivery. The intensity and nature of the services changed during the course of service delivery: intensity was somewhat lower during the initial assessment phase and a shift occurred after reunification toward more counseling time and less time for provision of concrete services. Despite some predictable grumbling about extra paperwork, workers showed considerable interest in contributing to the time study.
