A review of EAP evaluation in the 1990s

Abstract

A review of the literature found 39 published EAP evaluations during the 1990s: four examining needs assessments, 12 case studies, nine cost-benefit analyses, five on client satisfaction along with nine process evaluations. The majority of evaluations were produced by organizations with internal EAPs located in the United States though there were 12 conducted by organizations employing external service providers and also a few from other nations, notably Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, found in the review. A variety of methodologies from key informant interviews to formal controlled experiments were used in the 39 evaluations employing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and from one to five distinct data sources. While this indicates a growing robustness in EAP evaluation and the ongoing awareness of the importance of conducting and publishing evaluations, it also underscores the lack of uniformity in systematically examining this dynamic practice area.