Roger Maaka, an academic who has studied and advised on indigenous issues internationally.
Donna Mertens is past president of the American Evaluation Association and editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, as well as a professor at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Thomas Schwandt is a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a member of a standing committee of the National Research Council of the US National Academies of Sciences.
Elliot Stern is Professor of Evaluation Research at Lancaster University and the current editor of Evaluation: the international journal of theory, research and practice.
Jane Davidson, formerly the Associate Director of the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, Jane now heads an evaluation consulting firm in Auckland, New Zealand.
Actionable Evaluations: A Bootcamp for Commissioners, Managers and Evaluators
E. Jane Davidson & Nan Wehipeihana
Abstract:
Let’s face it. Every year there are evaluations that bitterly disappoint client organisations by failing to produce actionable answers to important evaluative questions. Weak evaluations frequently lack incisive evaluation questions; employ the wrong methodology for the questions; get lost in the details; skip over the crucial ‘values’ step and therefore can’t draw evaluative conclusions; uncritically accept stated objectives as the only evaluative criteria; focus only on the average effect; fail to adequately triangulate and transparently weave sources of evidence; toss causation into the ‘too hard basket’ while still claiming to have documented ‘outcomes’; and fail to clearly communicate findings. This session will help managers and commissioners of evaluations see the possibilities so they can become informed and demanding consumers of real, genuine, actionable evaluation. You will get important pointers for writing RFPs and managing selection processes with a better chance of attracting a shorter list of high quality proposals; and for effectively managing the evaluation so as to maximise the chances of getting clear, authentic, actionable answers to high priority questions. Evaluators will also be interested in hearing about how their work can better meet the needs of clients and other stakeholders.
Let’s face it. Every year there are evaluations that bitterly disappoint client organisations by failing to produce actionable answers to important evaluative questions. Weak evaluations frequently lack incisive evaluation questions; employ the wrong methodology for the questions; get lost in the details; skip over the crucial ‘values’ step and therefore can’t draw evaluative conclusions; uncritically accept stated objectives as the only evaluative criteria; focus only on the average effect; fail to adequately triangulate and transparently weave sources of evidence; toss causation into the ‘too hard basket’ while still claiming to have documented ‘outcomes’; and fail to clearly communicate findings. This session will help managers and commissioners of evaluations see the possibilities so they can become informed and demanding consumers of real, genuine, actionable evaluation. You will get important pointers for writing RFPs and managing selection processes with a better chance of attracting a shorter list of high quality proposals; and for effectively managing the evaluation so as to maximise the chances of getting clear, authentic, actionable answers to high priority questions. Evaluators will also be interested in hearing about how their work can better meet the needs of clients and other stakeholders.
Want us to keep you posted?
Please subscribe to the site feed to receive updates about workshops, presentations, publications and keynotes – plus Real Evaluation ideas and techniques. See top right corner for subscription options (email updates highly recommended).
The following are copies of selected past conference presentations in PDF format. All items are copyright; please cite the presentation and this website if they are referenced.
NOTE: If clicking on them directly doesn’t work, please right-click and choose “save as”.
