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Values play a fundamental role in the evaluation process; however, evaluators and evaluation training have tended to focus on research methodology. Much less emphasis has been placed on explicit attention to values and valuing, and the steps necessary to justify those aspects of evaluation conclusions. In this article, we argue that to improve evaluation practice, we need to make values an explicit part of the evaluation process. Research done in other disciplines can offer assistance towards this end. We first provide a general discussion of basic practical applications of value theories. Then, we offer an example for how a particular individual values theory, Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values, can inform our work and encourage further exploration of approaches for incorporating value theories into evaluation practice.

This article complements previous practice-oriented reviews of the 360-degree assessment literature by focusing on recent (2000 and later) research bearing on three questions of interest to practitioners. First, can 360-degree ratings can be meaningfully compared across groups? Research suggests that ratings from different sources and administration methods are generally comparable, but comparing ratings from different cultures or languages may be problematic. Second, what does self-other agreement tell us? Research results suggest that there is a complex interplay wherein different patterns of self-other agreement predict different outcomes following feedback. Third, should 360-degree assessment be used for administrative decisionmaking in organizations? Despite logical arguments against such a practice, preliminary evidence suggests there may be little advantage to separating developmental from administrative functions.