ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the rationale and Approaches to evaluation designed to inform front-end decision-making about the structure and content of policies and programs. An extensive conceptual literature has emerged, and the American Evaluation Association has a strong Topical Interest Group on needs assessment, an indication that needs assessment is acknowledged as an important subset of evaluation practice. Needs assessment in practice has three major stages: planning, data management and utilisation. Synthesising evidence to inform professional practice emerged within the medical fraternity, where the concept of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become influential. Databases such as Medline have sections devoted to evidence-based medicine and bodies such as the Australian National Health and Research Council are working to improve the implementation of EBM. The intention of early proponents of EBP was to encourage the use of rigorously produced scientific knowledge into policy decision-making.
