DiNitto and Johnson identify four obstacles to policy implementation: poor communication, lack of resources, attitudes, and bureaucracy. Discuss how these factors might impede policymaking at an agency. Which of these factors do you believe has the most potential to impede policymaking? As a practitioner or an administrator in an agency, can you think of other obstacles that might also exist?
You have been hired as an evaluator and asked to conduct an evaluation of a spousal abuse program that has been implemented at Agency X. The goal of the program is to empower women who are victims of violence to terminate abusive relationships by providing them with training to make them more employable. The funders are interested in learning about the effectiveness of this program. As an evaluator, what are some initial questions you would ask program administrators and staff before designing the evaluation?