Presidential Address: On Mainstreaming Evaluation

Abstract

Articles Presidential Address: On Mainstreaming Evaluation JAMES R. SANDERS ABSTRACTThe practice of evaluation in organizations continues to be limited by perceptions that evaluation is a marginal activity. Arguments demonstrating the importance of evaluation have been ineffective in moving most organizations toward integrating evaluation into their daily routines. A multifaceted approach to making evaluation a part of organizational culture is proposed. It includes using allies, examples, models, research, process guides, and trainers/developers.

Understanding Dimensions of Organizational Evaluation Capacity

“…ECB refers to the changes undertaken by organizations to integrate evaluation practice and use at all levels (Boyle, Lemaire & Rist, 1999;Cousins, Goh, Clark & Lee, 2004;Sanders, 2002;. ECB is defined by Stockdill et al (2002) as:…”

“…The first is through the participatory approach -an approach involving the collaborative actions of trained evaluation personnel working with program and organization personnel not trained in evaluation -which has been shown to lead to increased use of the evaluation findings and process (Cousins & Leithwood, 1993;Patton, 1999). Second, ECB fosters organizational learning by bringing together stakeholders and fostering "communities of practice" involved in experimentation and learning (Kruse, 2003;Sanders, 2002;Wenger, 2004).…”

Adaptive Capacity in Israeli Social Change Nonprofits

“…19 A learning organization, as discussed earlier, proactively collects and interprets information on a regular basis in order to inform its decision making processes. This view of evaluation, termed by Sanders (2002) as "mainstreaming evaluation", refers to the process of making evaluation an integral part of "the organization's work ethic, its culture and job responsibilities at all levels" (Sanders, 2003, p. 3). Addressing the challenge of mainstreaming evaluation, Sanders (2002) concedes the marginal role that evaluation plays in most organizations, explaining that at the present time it "is ignored, given lip service, delegated to external consultant, or left to autocratic leaders"(p. 254).…”

“…This view of evaluation, termed by Sanders (2002) as "mainstreaming evaluation", refers to the process of making evaluation an integral part of "the organization's work ethic, its culture and job responsibilities at all levels" (Sanders, 2003, p. 3). Addressing the challenge of mainstreaming evaluation, Sanders (2002) concedes the marginal role that evaluation plays in most organizations, explaining that at the present time it "is ignored, given lip service, delegated to external consultant, or left to autocratic leaders"(p. 254). In reviewing recent efforts to enhance the use of evaluation in organizations, he differentiates the goal of mainstreaming evaluation from "institutionalizing" evaluation or "building capacity in evaluation" (p. 254).…”

“…Co-evaluation, developed by Gray (1998), is cited by Sanders (2002) as an example of an approach that emphasizes the mainstreaming of evaluation in order to enhance organizational learning and effectiveness (Sanders, 2002). As Gray (1998) explains, the process of coevaluation, which is carried out by the organization itself on a routine basis, is characterized by three steps: "asking good questions, gathering and reviewing information and sharing the information to foster good decision making" (p. 4).…”