Abstract
M.A.
This study comments on the debate surrounding the impact of measurement on the
effectiveness and accountability of the social work profession. The basic objective
of this study is to determine whether the utilization of the " single subject design " and
" standardized measurement scales " have an impact on the effectiveness of social
work service delivery.
For this research study the experimental design, and specifically the comparison
Pretest-Posttest design, is utilized. The experimental group was exposed to the "
single subject design " and " standardized measurement scales " as intervention
techniques. The control group was not exposed to measurement as an intervention
technique.
The results of this study indicates a statistically significant difference in growth towards
target, between the experimental group and the control group. Clients in the
experimental group achieved a higher level of positive growth compared with clients
in the control group. Service delivery within the experimental group was therefore
more effective than service delivery in the corresponding control group.
This study concludes that the utilization of measurement has a positive influence on
the effectiveness of social work service delivery. According to the study, social
workers that apply measurement as part of their intervention techniques are more
effective than social workers who do not apply measurement. It is therefore
recommended that measurement should be part of all social work service rendering
in order to enhance effectiveness.