ENS 797  Seminar in Environmental Program Evaluation  
    Wed. 4:05- 5:50 PM   105 Marshall  Hall                                    (updated 2/27/02)
       Prof. John Felleman  108B Marshall Hall  felleman@esf.edu   470-6550
            http://www.esf.edu/es/felleman/797EvaluationSemSlySp%2702.html

 Overview
     Since the 1970's, governments at all levels have passed numerous laws and regulations intended to protect and enhance environmental quality. Many (most?) of the resultant implemented programs involve targeted interventions into often poorly understood, hybrid  biophysical/socio-economic systems. Both advocates for and opponents of these programs have raised fundamental questions regarding the resultant effectiveness and efficiency of these efforts. Environmental Program Evaluation (EPE) is the field of policy analysis that wrestles with the "who, what, when, where, how, and why"  we go about analyzing program performance issues. The intended uses of EPE range from early program development, to midcourse constructive program modification,  to sunsetting and termination. EPE is an evolving analytical arena that is central to the constructs of Adaptive Management, and Sustainable Development.  
   EPE typically involves the integration of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Although not formal course pre-requisites, students are expected to have and/or develop conceptual level understanding of these topics. The design of this seminar is to explore EPE through the review and discussion of related literature including theory, methods, and case studies. Students will play an active role in identifying and summarizing source materials. Two class products will be an annotated bibliography, and a referenced glossary of terms. Students are encouraged to  focus their efforts on a specific EPE environmental or administrative program topic, (such as hazwaste remediation,  federalism, bioindicators etc.), in which they have a direct research interest.
   
   

Objectives
    At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:
    1. Articulate the alternative roles of EPE in environmental policy and management;
    2. Identify the underlying processes and issues in measurement and valuation; and
    3. Frame the relationships between EPE and their individual research interest.
Resources 
   There are two framework reading sources for the course:
    1. Knapp, G. and T. Kim, eds. (1998), Environmental Program Evaluation: A Primer. U. Ill. Press.
    A copy has been placed on reserve at S.U.'s Science and Technology Library. Students are strongly encouraged to purchase a copy on line from a book source such as:
        http://dogbert.abebooks.com/    ,  http://www.powells.com/   , Barnes and Noble etc.

    2. General Accounting Office, Program Evaluation and Methodology Division:
         Methodology Transfer Papers; and Program Reports:  http://www.gao.gov/    
   
     These  will be complemented by class handouts, and resources identified by the class members.

    There are numerous potentially useful EPE-related web sites. In addition to the GAO site, a few places to start exploring are:
    Basic Guide to Program Eval.:   http://www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm
    American Evaluation Assoc.:   http://www.eval.org/
    Congressional Budget Office: http://www.cbo.gov/byclasscat.cfm?cat=18   
    Congressional Research Service reports: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRS/
    National Academies Press:   http://books.nap.edu/v3/makepage.phtml?val1=subject&val2=ev
    State Prog. Eval. Web resources: http://www.csulb.edu/~ddowell/weblinks.htm
    Resources for the Future's library:   http://www.rff.org/library/index.htm
    National Academy of Public Administration:  http://www.napawash.org/
 Methods
    This is a grad seminar, requiring active student participation. Some lectures will be interspersed to provide a brief common foundation for course topics.  Students will rotate leadership in facilitation of readings discussion, and writing the initial versions of class glossary, and annotated bibliography.

Schedule (Tentative)

 #
 Date
 Topic
  Readings/Assignments
1
 1/16
  Introduction: Class Overview;
   EPE in the Policy Process, Actors and Stakeholders
2
 1/23
  Goals, Objectives, Criteria, Values
 Knapp: Intro; Ch.1
GAO "Eval.": Ch.1,2
3
 1/30
  Class Discussion of  Selected EPE Examples
4
 2/6
  Programs: Types, Components
 Knapp: Ch. 2,3
5
 2/13
  Conceptual Causality-Program Outcome Models;
  Discusssion of student selected references
 Felleman: Ch. 1,4
6
 2/20
  Program Process/Information Flows
 Felleman: Ch.2,3, 7
7
 2/27
  Environmental Measurement I
   Felleman: Ch. 9
  Web Sites
8
 3/6
  Environmental Measurement II
  Knapp: Ch. 5,6,7
9
 3/20
  Seminar Guest- (tentative)
      J. Manno- St. Lawrence Ecosystem Impacts
  
10
 3/27
  Economic Evaluation I
11
 4/3
  Economic  Eval II
  Knapp: Ch. 8
12
 4/10
  Using EPEs
  Knapp: Ch. 12, 13
13
 4/17
  Seminar Guest - (tentative)
      R. Whaley- "Review of the Adirondack Park Agency"
14
 4/24
  Wrap-up
 Knapp: Conclusion





Measurement Web Sites:
    National Resources Inventory: http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/NRI/
    National Resources Inventory Analysis Institute: http://waterhome.brc.tamus.edu/NRIAI/
    National Biological Information Infrastructure: http://www.nbii.gov/
    US Census:  http://www.census.gov/
    EPA EMAP: http://www.epa.gov/emap/