Critical elements in evaluating and developing practice in social work

Abstract

Evaluation research deals with practical questions of how practice is being carried out, how it can be studied and evaluated and how the outcomes can be communicated with the practice. In this article critical elements in evaluation practices are scrutinized from an evolutive perspective. It draws attention to the role of the researcher, the knowledge production and dissemination phases and how these have changed. It highlights the importance on practice connectedness and how this challenges the knowledge production processes. And concludes by stating that to be able to learn from practice, evaluation needs to evolve towards a more deliberative approach and have an active role both in science and society.