Toward a Taxonomy of Essential Evaluator Competencies

King, Jean A.; Stevahn, Laurie; Ghere, Gail; Minnema, Jane

doi:10.1177/109821400102200206

Cited by 80 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Furthermore, evaluation theory was taught to less than half of the job seekers, which is consistent with the findings of Engle et al (2006). This finding is particularly salient given how important these concepts are in the taxonomies developed by Stufflebeam and Wingate (2005) and King and colleagues King et al, 2001;Stevahn et al, 2005Stevahn et al, , 2006. One explanation may be that employers of evaluators may value knowledge of evaluation theory and methods on a practical rather than academic level, as reflected in how often employers decried evaluators' lack of real-world experience or tunnel vision regarding methodologies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…The surveys for evaluation job seekers and evaluation employers were refined and finalized based on the information gathered during these processes. As shown in Table 1, most of the 19 competencies also were present in the Stufflebeam and Wingate (2005) and King and colleagues King et al, 2001;Stevahn, King, Ghere, & Minnema, 2005, 2006 competency frameworks. Two additional competencies, (a) writing for practitioner or academic publications and (b) syntax writing (e.g., SQL, PERL), were included because they were mentioned in the survey development focus groups.…”

Section: Job Seeker and Employer Surveysmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Job seekers can make themselves more competitive for employment by • assessing their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the competencies listed in this article and those listed by others (e.g., King et al, 2001;Stufflebeam & Wingate, 2005); • enhancing skills that are most valued by employers, particularly interpersonal communication, writing, project and team management, and practical applications of research design, and evaluation theory; and • seeking practical experience through internships.…”

Section: Concept Of Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…As a result, Davis (1986) argued that the field had attained a certain level of legitimacy, contained a body of knowledge, methods of inquiry, and accepted procedures, and that the actual training of evaluators had become less fragmented. More recently, the conversation on competencies has turned back to developing lists of evaluation competencies (King, Stevahn, Ghere, & Minnema, 2001;Russ-Eft, Bober, de la Teja, Foxon, & Koszalka, 2008;Stufflebeam & Wingate, 2005).…”

Section: Evaluation Competencies: Past and Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evaluator Competencies

Dewey¹,

Montrosse

Schröter

et al. 2008

American Journal of Evaluation

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This article explores the overlaps and disconnects between the competencies evaluators acquire during graduate school and those required and desired by employers. To investigate this relationship, two different surveys are administered, one for job seekers and the other for employers; 205 postings in the American Evaluation Association job bank were analyzed. The findings suggest that employers, job seekers, and job posters generally agree on the importance of some competencies, such as quantitative analyses and data management. However, some skills desired by employers, such as interpersonal, project management, and presentation skills, differ from skills that job seekers acquire in graduate school. Opportunities for additional experiences in real-world evaluation settings could fill these gaps. Implications for training and future research on training in evaluation are discussed. E valuation training, specifically requisite evaluation skills, has been a central concern since the field's inception. Despite the proliferation of alternative training avenues for evaluators, continued deliberation persists of what knowledge and skills should be gained as well as where and how. For example, between 2003 and 2006, approximately 40 panels, debates, roundtables, think tanks, demonstrations, skill-building workshops, expert lectures, and multipaper sessions were offered at the annual American Evaluation Association (AEA) conference on the topic of evaluation competencies alone. Topics ranged from providing graduate evaluation training through an apprenticeship model, to how the context of evaluation affects the use of evaluation competencies, and to performance evaluation tools for rating evaluators' knowledge and technical skills (American Evaluation Association [AEA], n.d. a).One of these AEA conference sessions is a recurring metaroundtable sponsored by the Graduate Student and New Evaluators Topical Interest Group. This roundtable functions as a forum for novice evaluators in search of a first job or a different position, and it provides them with an informal venue for discussing career issues with seasoned evaluators. To provide a comprehensive perspective, session organizers invite practitioners from various sectors (e.g.,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Section: Job Seeker and Employer Surveysmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Concept Of Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Evaluation Competencies: Past and Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evaluator Competencies

Dewey¹,

Montrosse

Schröter

et al. 2008

American Journal of Evaluation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We also considered how the game would address evaluation knowledge, skills, and traits through an evaluation taxonomy. This taxonomy, developed by King, Stevahn, Ghere, and Minnema (2001), is called the "essential evaluator competencies." It delineates the skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics of program evaluators under the broad categories of systemic inquiry, competent evaluation practice, general skills for evaluation practice, and evaluation professionalism.…”

Section: Theoretical Bases Of Evaluation Teachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Program Evaluation: The Board Game

Febey

Coyne

2007

American Journal of Evaluation

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This section includes articles that focus on teaching of, and training in, evaluation. Articles may address evaluation teaching and training in diverse environments, including K through 12, corporate, government, nonprofit, or community settings, in addition to more traditional academic settings. Articles might also identify strategies and outcomes of teaching evaluation to community and agency members. A variety of formats are welcome, including case studies, interviews, and more traditional articles. Research on the teaching of evaluation is especially welcome. In general, manuscripts for this section should range from 5 to 20 pages in length, although shorter or longer papers will be considered. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed, with as timely a review process as we can achieve. If you have any questions or suggestions about topics you would like to see addressed in this section or would like to chat about an idea you are considering for submission, feel free to call Hallie Preskill, the section editor, at (909) Abstract: The field of program evaluation lacks interactive teaching tools. To address this pedagogical issue, the authors developed a collaborative learning technique called Program Evaluation: The Board Game. The authors present the game and its development in this practitioner-oriented article. The evaluation board game is an adaptable teaching tool designed to familiarize players with basic history, theories, approaches, and tasks associated with conducting program evaluations. The basis of the game design came from an evaluation skills taxonomy and a review of popular texts in the evaluation field. The authors piloted the game and administered a postgame survey to assess its effectiveness. Results of the survey provided specific information about how the game contributed to learning and led to significant modifications and improvements in the game. The authors' experience demonstrates that the board game can generate useful discussion about evaluation issues and teach foundational knowledge in the program evaluation field.

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Expanding Scope of Evaluation in Today's Organizations

Russ‐Eft

2009

Handbook of Improving Performance in the Workplace: Volumes 1‐3

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H uman resource development (HRD) professionals and organizational managers and executives are increasingly recognizing the importance of measurement and evaluations of organizational programs and processes. A study by the Conference Board (Gates, 2005) found that executives plan to make increasing use of human capital metrics. The reason for this is the role that such measurement and evaluation play in helping the organization achieve its strategic goals. As confirmation, LaBonte and Necessary (2007) emphasized the use of measurement for decision making. In other cases, line managers, including those in HR, HRD, and human performance technology (HPT), recognize the importance of measuring the effects and impacts of their interventions. Such information can also be used to determine what changes, if any, are needed in the interventions in order to meet their objectives. All of these trends point toward the importance of evaluation and also the expanding approaches and scope of evaluation.The purpose of this chapter is to examine the expanding scope of evaluation in organizations. The discussion begins with a brief examination of the expansion in the contexts in which evaluations are occurring. The discussion then turns to a presentation of two major types of approaches to evaluation: outcomebased approaches and process or systems approaches. This discussion highlights

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Toward a Taxonomy of Essential Evaluator Competencies

Cited by 80 publications

References 16 publications

Evaluator Competencies

Evaluator Competencies

Program Evaluation: The Board Game

Expanding Scope of Evaluation in Today's Organizations

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