In your initial post, briefly describe three policies or programs you are considering as the subject of the Final Paper, and explain the impact of any relevant political and ethical issues associated with the program evaluation. List the reasons you are considering each program. Explain political ramifications, both intended and inadvertent, of the programs or policies you have selected as possible topics for the Final Paper. In addition, examine any potential ethical issues or dilemmas that could be a byproduct of the evaluation you are proposing for the program or policy. In your analysis, take into account such issues as the scope of the programs under consideration, practical and logistical issues affecting the proposed evaluation, and any theoretical orientation you will use in your Final Paper.
The focus of the Final Paper will be on the creation of an evaluation proposal suitable for presentation in a criminal justice setting or agency. The proposal will center on needs assessment, impact monitoring, and the application of quantitative and/or qualitative techniques in the assessment of the selected program or policy. Rossi, Lipsey, and Freeman (2004) discuss the social context of evaluation. Your evaluation proposal should assess the effectiveness of a program or policy, addressing a specific problem proposed or developed as a solution to a contemporary issue in your chosen area of specialization within the Masters in Criminal Justice program: Law Enforcement and Corrections Administration, Cybercrime and Technology, Forensic Science, or Homeland Security. Utilize research skills to locate a minimum of 15 appropriate scholarly sources to support your statements within the required sections below. Small sections of the evaluation proposal will be completed throughout the progression of the course. Students can use those sections verbatim within the text of the Final Paper if they so choose. The evaluation proposal will be assessed based on the inclusion of the following elements:
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