EVALUATOR-MANAGER RELATIONSHIP - AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOURCES OF CONFLICT AND A MODEL FOR A SUCCESSFUL UNION (FROM EVALUATOR AND MANAGEMENT, 1979, BY HERBERT C SCHULBERG AND JEANETTE M JERRELL - SEE NCJ-63825)

• NCJ Number: 63833
• Author(s): R F CONNER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SOURCES OF CONFLICT IN THE MANAGER-EVALUATOR RELATIONSHIP ARE IDENTIFIED, AND A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT IN WHICH THESE CONFLICTS WERE OVERCOME IS EXAMINED ALONG WITH A MODEL BASED ON THIS PROJECT.

Abstract

EVALUATOR-MANAGER CONFLICTS CAN STEM FROM PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES, ROLE DIFFERENCES, LACK OF CLEAR ROLE DEFINITION, CONFLICTING GOALS, VALUES, INTERESTS, AND FRAMES OF REFERENCE, INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND ASPECTS OF EVALUATION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES. BAR ASSOCIATION SUPPORT TO IMPROVE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES (BASICS) WAS FOUNDED IN 1974 TO STIMULATE LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT CORRECTIONAL REFORM EFFORTS. BASICS AWARDED 80 PLANNING GRANTS IN 40 STATES PLUS 20 LARGER ACTION GRANTS FOR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION. BECAUSE OF THE INTEREST IN MEASURABLE CHANGES, PROGRAM EVALUATION WAS DEEMED IMPORTANT, AND A TEAM OF EVALUATORS WAS ASKED TO JOIN EARLY IN THE PROJECT. ALTHOUGH THE BASICS PROJECT INVOLVED MANY DIFFERENT EVALUATIONS AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROGRAM PERSONNEL, THERE WAS LITTLE CONFLICT; EVALUATIONS WERE COMPLETED AND RECOMMENDATIONS HEEDED. PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES DID NOT ARISE, PARTLY BECAUSE OF SIMILARITIES OF ATTITUDE BETWEEN LAWYERS AND EVALUATORS. DIFFERENCES IN ROLES WERE NOT ACCENTUATED, AND EVALUATORS BECAME DE FACTO PROGRAM PERSONNEL IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION. THEIR REGULAR PRESENCE HELPED PROJECT STAFFS TO LEARN ABOUT EVALUATION. SEEMING DIFFERENCES IN FRAMES OF REFERENCE AND INTEREST WERE OVERSHADOWED BY A COMMON COMMITMENT TO THE SAME OVERALL GOAL--THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE TO CLIENTS. THIS WAS ACHIEVED BY THE EARLY AND CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT OF EVALUATORS WITH THE PROJECTS. BASICS PROJECTS WERE RUN IN AN INFORMAL ATMOSPHERE WHICH PRECLUDED AUTHORITARIAN TENSIONS. EVALUATION PROCEDURES DID NOT INTERFERE WITH PROJECT OPERATIONS BUT WERE INSTITUTED AS A REGULAR PART OF THE PROJECT. BASED ON THE BASICS EXPERIENCE, A MODEL FOR EVALUATOR-MANAGER RELATIONS, CALLED THE COLLEGIAL MODEL, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. USING THE MODEL, THE RELATIONSHIP EVOLVES THROUGH FOUR STAGES: (1) COOPERATIVE, COLLEGIAL ATTITUDE, (2) SHARED COMMITMENT TO PROJECT, (3) MUTUAL TRUST, AND (4) MUTUAL RESPECT WITH LITTLE CONFLICT. HIRING AN INDEPENDENT CRITIC OR RETAINING OBJECTIVE SELF-CRITICISM IS RECOMMENDED. A NOTE AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED AS IS A SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF THE MODEL. (MRK)