EMERGING ISSUES FOR EVALUATORS AND EVALUATION USERS (FROM IMPROVING EVALUATIONS, 1979, BY LOIS-ELLIN DATTA AND ROBERT PERLOFF - SEE NCJ-64392)

• NCJ Number: 64401
• Author(s): R F RICH
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS RESEARCH PAPER EXPLORES A CORE SET OF CONCERNS THAT AFFECT PROGRAM EVALUATORS AND EVALUATION USERS, SUCH AS EVALUATION USE AND ETHICS, RELIABLE AND VALID TOOLS, AND EVALUATOR TRAINING.

Abstract

WITHIN THE LAST DECADE, PROGRAM EVALUATION, OR EVALUATION RESEARCH, HAS MATURED INTO DISCIPLINE WITH SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMS, JOURNALS, PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. ACADEMICS AND PRACTITIONERS ALIKE THINK OF EVALUATION AS A FORMAL COMPONENT OF THE PROBLEMSOLVING/POLICYMAKING PROCESS. AS EVALUATION EXPANDS, HOWEVER, SEVERAL ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED: THE AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS; NECESSARY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS; TRANSLATION OF EVALUATION RESEARCH RESULTS INTO POLICY/ACTION; PREVENTION OF ABUSE AND MISUTILIZATION OF EVALUATION DATA; AND DEVELOPMENT OF ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR EVALUATORS. EVALUATORS MUST CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRAM TO BE EVALUATED AS WELL AS THE STRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE PROGRAM IS LOCATED. ULTIMATE PROGRAMMATIC GOALS MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN ADDITION TO MEANS USED TO REACH THOSE GOALS. EVALUATION RESEARCH NEEDS TO BECOME MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY, UTLIZING A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES BOTH TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE. TRAINING PROGRAMS MUST FOCUS ON THE ABILITY TO STRUCTURE PROBLEMS AND TRAIN CLIENTS TO DO SO. A STRONG SENSE OF ETHICS AND ABILITY TO SYNTHESIZE EVALUATION RESULTS IS IMPORTANT FOR EVALUATORS, AS IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE USERS' ENVIRONMENT. A NEED EXISTS TO CREATE EFFECTIVE KNOWLEDGE-TRANSFER MECHANISMS FOR TRANSLATING EVALUATION INFORMATION INTO ACTION OR POLICY. AN EVALUATOR MUST ALSO ENSURE THAT EVALUATION RESULTS ARE NOT ABUSED OR MISUSED. AS CONGRESS CONTINUES TO MANDATE EVALUATION, THE ISSUE OF ETHICAL STANDARDS MUST BE FACED AND EVALUATORS MUST ADDRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIMITS OF OBJECTIVITY, OF DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN POLICYMAKING PROCESSES, AND THEIR ABILITY TO LIMIT ABUSE AND MISUSE OF RESEARCH FINDINGS. FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE FIELD, THEREFORE, MANDATES THAT EVALUATORS EVALUATE THEMSELVES. REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (MJW)