Final answer:
Programme evaluation is the systematic assessment of various efforts to inform decision-making and improve outcomes, often employing quasi-experimental designs to evaluate social programmes when random assignment isn't feasible.
Step-by-step explanation:
Programme evaluation is a type of applied research aimed at assessing the value, impact, and efficacy of efforts such as projects, processes, services, or resources. It is a content loaded, systematic process that examines the time, money, effort, and resources spent to achieve a goal, with the intent of informing decision making and enhancing real-world outcomes. This field of research benefits from various methods, including surveys, experimental designs, and case studies, to collect and analyze data. The integration of programme evaluation within community psychology and other social sciences serves to improve quality of life and well-being by providing essential feedback for program refinement and justification for funding.
Quasi-experimental designs are valuable in the evaluation of social programmes when random assignment is not possible. These designs resemble traditional experimental setups but lack the element of randomization. They can still offer insights into the effects of a program by comparing outcomes between groups that receive the intervention and those that do not. Quasi-experimental designs can help determine program fidelity, measure outcomes such as housing retention in social services, and conduct cost-benefit analyses. Such methodologies are essential in capturing the nuanced effects of social programmes and guiding the improvement of community-based interventions.