Interactive Evaluation Practice: Mastering the Interpersonal Dynamics of Program Evaluation

You've taken your introduction to evaluation course and are about to do your first evaluation project. Where do you begin? This book helps bridge the gap between the theory of evaluation and its practice, giving students the specific skills they need to use in different evaluation settings. The authors present readers with three organizing frameworks (derived from social interdependence theory from social psychology, evaluation use research, and the evaluation capacity building literature) for thinking about evaluation practice. These frameworks help readers track the various skills or strategies to use for distinctive evaluation situations. In addition, the authors provide explicit advice about how to solve specific evaluation problems. Numerous examples throughout the text bring interactive practice to life in a variety of settings.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors Preface Acknowledgments Part I. An Introduction to Interactive Evaluation Practice 1. Introducing Interactive Evaluation Practice 2. Framing Interactive Evaluation Practice 3. Theoretical Foundations for Interactive Evaluation Practice Part II. Skills and Strategies for Interactive Evaluation Practice 4. The Nuts and Bolts of Evaluation Conversations 5. An Evaluator′s Dozen of Interactive Strategies 6. Managing Conflict Constructively in Evaluation Settings 7. Creating a Viable Interactive Evaluation Process 8. Dealing With the Unexpected in Program Evaluation: When Bad Things Happen to Good Evaluators Part III. Teaching Cases for Bringing Interactive Evaluation Practice to Life 9. The Evaluator Is in Charge: Evaluating a Controversial Shelter Project 10. We′re in This Together: Evaluating a Remedial Math Program 11. Serving as an Evaluation Coach: Engaging Staff and Participants in Evaluating a Healthy Nutrition Program Epilogue: The End--and a Beginning Glossary Appendix A. The Program Evaluation Standards: A Guide for Evaluators and Evaluation Users (3rd Edition) Appendix B. American Evaluation Association Guiding Principles for Evaluators Appendix C. Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators Appendix D. Interactive Evaluation Practice Principles Chapter Crosswalk Appendix E. Generic Exercises for Reflecting on Interactive Evaluation Practice Case Studies References Author Index Subject Index

About the Author :
Jean A. King is a professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota. She holds an M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University and, prior to her graduate study, taught middle school English in upstate New York before moving to New Orleans, LA where she was on the faculty at Tulane University. In 1989 she moved upriver to the University of Minnesota as the founding director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) in the College of Education and Human Development, a position she held for four years before working collaboratively to revitalize program evaluation instruction in the College. King founded the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute (MESI) in1996 and currently serves as its director. With over thirty years’ experience teaching and conducting evaluations, Professor King has received numerous awards for her work, including the Myrdal Award for Evaluation Practice and the Ingle Award for Extraordinary Service from the American Evaluation Association, three teaching awards, and three community service awards. A sought-after presenter and long-time writer on evaluation, she is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and reviews and retains an abiding interest in participatory evaluation and evaluation capacity building. Laurie Stevahn holds a B.A. in political science from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Seattle Pacific University, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. She currently is Associate Professor of Education at Seattle University and Director of the Educational Leadership doctoral program. She teaches graduate courses in research and evaluation, curriculum and instruction, and social justice in professional practice. Special areas of expertise include cooperative learning and conflict resolution, organization development and systemic change, interactive models of teaching and assessment, and essential competencies for program evaluators. Her publications appear in a variety of journals including the American Educational Research Journal, Journal of Social Psychology, Child Development, Journal of Educational Research, Theory Into Practice, Educational Leadership, American Journal of Evaluation, and Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. Stevahn is also the co-author of several resource books for educators, including Cooperative Learning: Where Heart Meets Mind and The Portfolio Organizer: Succeeding with Portfolios in Your Classroom. She is the author, with Jean A. King, of Needs Assessment Phase III: Taking Action for Change.

Review :
"How refreshing! An easy-to-read, scholarly book that is rich in both theory and practical advice, and intensely focused on the interpersonal aspect of evaluation practice...It provides a plethora of best practice examples, templates, and frameworks that show how evaluators can enhance their evaluation practice by paying particular attention to interpersonal dynamics...Throughout the book, King and Stevahn use delightful images and analogies that make it fun to read. Whoever thought of an evaluation being an emergent piece of art?"