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Session Title: The Role of Evaluation During Tough Fiscal Times: Sage Advice From Evaluation Leaders
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Panel Session 274 to be held in CROCKETT A on Thursday, Nov 11, 10:55 AM to 12:25 PM
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Sponsored by the Extension Education Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Joseph Donaldson, University of Tennessee, jldonaldson@tennessee.edu
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| Discussant(s):
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| Nancy Franz, Virginia Tech, nfranz@vt.edu
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| Abstract:
Fiscal challenges affect program evaluation. One evaluator scales-back an evaluation design mid-stream to accommodate reduced budgets. A second evaluator becomes a strategic planner because stakeholders want to capitalize on the evaluator’s expertise to make the best use of public funds. A third evaluator is taxed to build individual capacity for evaluation within an organization. Yet, while the American economy drags through a recession of historic proportions, fiscal challenges are not unique for the country’s economy, nor to evaluation leaders. This panel will offer advice for evaluation practice, training, and utilization in the context of concurrent events including, downsized University budgets, the rise of the Internet, and increased accountability at all levels of government. Panel members will discuss roles, responsibilities and reactions of evaluators during tough fiscal times. They will discuss their varied experiences, with an emphasis on evaluation in Land Grant University settings, especially Cooperative Extension and Outreach.
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Evaluator’s Role in Building Capacity and Demonstrating Public Value
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| Joseph Donaldson, University of Tennessee, jldonaldson@tennessee.edu
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This panelist will discuss varied challenges and opportunities of evaluation practice during tough fiscal times. As a Cooperative Extension program evaluator, he is increasingly asked to facilitate strategic plans because stakeholders want to capitalize on the evaluator’s expertise to make the best use of public funds. In this case, budget constraints have created an opportunity to build organizational capacity for program theory and logic model utilization. The evaluator has also been asked to demonstrate public value for various programs, and he will share the evaluation protocols he has employed.
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Evaluator’s Role in Organizational Transformation
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| Molly Engle, Oregon State University, molly.engle@oregonstate.edu
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The role of the evaluator has been to help faculty strengthen their individual programming through evaluation. This panelist will share examples from the watershed education team, and the efforts to meld individuals with focused programs to a team with integrated programs using systems theory. In addition, the role of evaluation in organizational transformation will be addressed.
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