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An Accountability Evaluation Supportive of Stakeholder Learning
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| Presenter(s):
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| Cheryl Poth,
University of Alberta,
2cnp@queensu.ca
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| Abstract:
Using the two-year evaluation of the Queen’s University Inter-Professional Patient-centred Education Direction (QUIPPED) program as a case study, this paper describes a participatory approach supportive of learning and ongoing program development while meeting the evaluation’s primary purpose for accountability to government funders. Our current understandings of the participatory approach describe it as useful to support individual and organizational learning. However, studies of evaluation use have yet to examine specifically how evaluators create opportunities for stakeholders to learn and at the same time, how evaluators produce outcomes that are useful for external accountability purposes. This paper reports the analysis of evaluator behaviour as it endorsed, modified, and extended current notions of the participatory approach.
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Empowerment evaluation: Did The Approach Work with a National School Breakfast Program In Australia?
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| Presenter(s):
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| Wayne Miller,
Avondale College,
wayne.miller@avondale.edu.au
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| Heather Yeatman,
University of Wollongong,
hyeatman@uow.edu.au
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| Abstract:
The empowerment evaluation approach was used in an evaluation of a national school breakfast program in Australia. Preliminary findings have been reported previously (Miller and Lennie, 2005). The purpose of this presentation is to report key evaluation outcomes associated with employing the empowerment evaluation approach rather than program outcomes as a result of the evaluation.
Evaluation outcomes were found to be of two types - those that are clearly linked to the steps of the empowerment evaluation approach, and others linked more generally to the principles of empowerment evaluation. The three steps provided a simple, progressive framework for the evaluation. This built early confidence in the approach which contributed to the achievement of significant evaluation and program outcomes. However, participants reported both alignment and misalignment with the ten principles.
The presentation will discuss findings in relation to the application of the empowerment evaluation approach. Strengths and limitations with respect to its use with a community-based, dispersed and diverse program will be highlighted. Some signposts will be provided for those looking to use empowerment evaluation in similar applications.
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Strategies for Using Stakeholder Input to Improve Evaluation Designs
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| Presenter(s):
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| Miles McNall,
Michigan State University,
mcnall@msu.edu
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| Lauren Lichty,
Michigan State University,
lichtyla@msu.edu
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| Abstract:
Participatory and collaborative evaluation approaches call for meaningful involvement of stakeholders in nearly every aspect of evaluation, including evaluation design. When stakeholders participate in decisions about evaluation design, they impart critical information about the context in which the evaluation will be implemented and their information needs. In the absence of such information, evaluations are unlikely to meet standards of feasibility, utility, or accuracy. In our experience, discussions with stakeholders about evaluation design surface issues such as the political and logistical feasibility of various methods and the kinds of evidence that will have credibility for various stakeholder groups. In this paper, we present a framework to assist evaluators and stakeholders in considering these issues and discussing their implications for evaluation design. The framework is designed to promote evaluation designs that meet stakeholders information needs (utility) and are responsive to local realities (feasibility) while upholding methodological integrity (accuracy).
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Walking a Fine Line: The Role of the Evaluator in Monitoring Program Implementation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Rebeca Diaz,
WestEd,
rdiaz@wested.org
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| Abstract:
This presentation will discuss the role of evaluators in monitoring the implementation of programs in school districts. The impetus for this topic comes from an evaluation study of a federal Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) grant implemented in a school district in northern California. The implementation of the grant was virtually void of district leadership, and as a result, the program contributed to negative student outcomes. The evaluator, who was subcontracted by the district, found this experience to be particularly challenging as she witnessed low socio-economic, ethnic minority students at a low performing high school expressing feelings of inferiority as a result of their participation in the program. She began to question her own responsibility in the situation. This presentation will explore questions such as: What is the responsibility of the evaluator in the implementation of school programs? How does one conduct a fair and meaningful evaluation while respecting both the client and the goals of the program?
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Collaborative Evaluation Strategies that Promote Culturally-Responsive Evaluations
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| Presenter(s):
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| Monifa Beverly,
University of Central Florida,
mbeverly@mail.ucf.edu
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| Karyl Askew,
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill,
karyls@email.unc.edu
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| Michelle Jay,
University of South Carolina,
jaym@gwm.sc.edu
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| Abstract:
Collaborative evaluation is an orientation to evaluation that promotes culturally-responsive practice. The goal of both collaborative evaluation and culturally-responsive approaches is to use an understanding of the cultural context to develop and execute evaluations that accurately capture program impact and provide maximum benefit to stakeholders. This presentation provides three examples of evaluations that demonstrate the use of four collaborative evaluation techniques resulting in practices that were culturally-responsive: collaborative planning, evaluation technical assistance, evaluation capacity building, and evaluation fairs. The evaluands include single-site and multi-site programs focused on delivery of services to ethnically diverse populations. The presenters, five individuals trained in the collaborative evaluation approach, offer critical reflection on using collaborative evaluation methods to promote culturally responsive practices. The evaluators will present successes, challenges, and practical recommendations for using collaborative evaluation techniques that can be widely applied to enhance the cultural-responsiveness of evaluations and evaluators.
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