The Evaluation of Family Support Programmes in Spain. An Analysis of their Quality Standards

Since the well-known publication of the Society for Prevention Research about standards for evidence related to research on prevention interventions, a rigorous evaluation is considered one of the main requirements for evidence-based programmes. Despite their importance, many programmes do not include evaluation designs that meet the most widely agreed quality standards. The aim of this study was to examine the evaluation processes of fifty-seven Spanish programmes identified in the context of the COST European Family Support Network. The obtained results provide a fairly positive picture of the quality of programme evaluation standards, although more designs that include a control group, follow-up evaluations assessing long-term effects, and the evaluation of child and indirect outcomes are needed. The results are discussed from a comprehensive and plural perspective of evaluation which, in addition to methodological rigor, considers the usefulness, feasibility, and ethical rigor of evaluation research.