Menu of Program Comparisons

1. The outcomes of selected "similar" programs.
2. The outcomes of the same program the previous year (or any other trend period, e.g., quarterly reports).
3. The outcomes of a representative or random sample of programs in the field.
4. The outcomes of special programs of interest, for example, those known to be exemplary models or those having difficulty (purposeful sample comparison, Patton 1990:169-86).
5. The stated goals of the program.
6. Participants' goals for themselves.
7. External standards of desirability as developed by the profession.
8. Standards of minimum acceptability (e.g., basic licensing or accreditation standards).
9. Ideals of program performance.
10. Guesses by staff or other decision makers about what the outcomes would be.

Combinations of any of these comparisons are also possible.

Note: In Michael Q. Patton, 1997. Utilization-focused evaluation, 3rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, p. 314.