Performance Monitoring in the Evaluation Process

This article reviews the underlying logic and usefulness of true performance monitoring, as distinguished from the more customary administrative monitoring, and explores the potential contribution of performance monitoring to improved program evaluation in terms of (1) providing an accumulating data base which may serve many different research designs and (2) supporting the evaluation process in general. The article concludes that increased emphasis on performance monitoring will lead to the development of more cost-effective evaluation programs in terms of policy relevance and utilization.