atic, rather than random. Second, the research focuses on the operations of a program and, third, on the outcomes of the program. The fourth important element is that there are standards for comparison, while the fifth element is that the purpose of the evaluation is making a contribution to the improvement of program and policy.
This applies to all evaluation research and all types of programs. Weiss noted, for example, that whether the research is quantitative or qualitative, it must be conducted with formality and rigor, according to accepted practice. Also, even if the evaluation focuses on process, rather than on formal outcomes, it is still looking at what happens with the organization's procedures and the recipient's lives.
Researchers and practitioners (1970s)
In her earliest work, Weiss set the foundation for her later thinking about policy analysis and program evaluation. She started by exploring the differences between researchers (or those who did the analysis and evaluation) and prac
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