Facilitating Evaluation: Principles in Practice(Evaluation in Practice Series)

Michael Quinn Patton’s Facilitating Evaluation: Principles in Practice is the first book of its kind to explain in depth and detail how to facilitate evaluation processes with stakeholders. Using the author’s own stories of his experiences as an evaluation facilitator, the book illustrates the five evaluation facilitation principles that are the organizing framework for addressing how to work with stakeholders to generate evaluation questions, make decisions among methods, interpret findings, and participate in all aspects of evaluation. Ultimately, this book will help readers perform facilitation to enhance the relevance, credibility, meaningfulness, and utility of evaluations.   "A must-read for anyone considering a high-impact evaluation!"   –Margaret Lombe, Boston College

Table of Contents:
Volume Editors’ Introduction Preface About the Author PART A. THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EVALUATION FACILITATOR Context: My Facilitation Experience and Perspective What Facilitators Do What Is Evaluation? Chapter 1. The Niche of Evaluation Facilitation Facilitating the What Is Evaluation Task Force The Results of Facilitation Facilitation as White-Water Navigating Evaluation Facilitation as a Distinct Form of Facilitation Facilitation Lessons Ten Resources for Explaining and Getting Started in Evaluation Chapter 2. Facilitating Evaluation to Enhance Use Evaluation Facilitation Evaluation Facilitation Scenarios Variations in the Need for Facilitation Being Active, Reactive, Interactive, and Adaptive Facilitation Lessons Facilitation Resources for Skill Assessment and Development Chapter 3. The Overarching Principle of Evaluation Facilitation: Be Utilization-Focused Why Use Principles-Focused Evaluation Facilitation GUIDE Dimensions of the Utilization-Focused Principle Summary Facilitation Lessons Additional Resources PART B. FIVE OPERATING PRINCIPLES FOR FACILITATING EVALUATION Quick Review Overarching Versus Operating Principles The Evaluation Facilitation Brittle Star Chapter 4. Be Guided by the Personal Factor: The First Operating Principle The Personal Factor GUIDE Dimensions of the Personal Factor Principle Effective Practices for Facilitating Evaluation Facilitation Lessons Summary Resources for Applying the Personal Factor Principle Chapter 5. Engage Through Options: The Second Operating Principle Research on Deciding Among Options What Makes Evaluation Decision Making Challenging for Stakeholders Myriad of Choices GUIDE Dimensions of the Engage Through Options Principle Facilitation Lessons Summary Tools and Resources for Facilitating Engagement With Options Chapter 6. Observe, Interpret, and Adapt: The Third Operating Principle Adopting an Observation Mindset Adapting in Real Time Adaptive Action as a Framework for Evaluation Facilitation GUIDE Criteria for the Observe, Interpret, Adapt Principle Facilitation Lessons Summary Resources to Support Observation, Interpretation, and Adaptation Chapter 7. Embed Evaluative Thinking Throughout: The Fourth Operating Principle Evaluative Thinking GUIDE Criteria for the Evaluative Thinking Principle Facilitation Lessons Summary Additional Resources to Support Facilitating Evaluative Thinking Chapter 8. Invigorate With Leading-Edge Inputs: The Fifth Operating Principle Facilitating at the Leading Edge GUIDE Criteria for the Leading-Edge Principle Summary Leading-Edge Tools and Resources Chapter 9. Principles-Focused Evaluation Facilitation: Conclusion and a Look Forward Central Theme of the Book Integrating the Principles Integrating Principles in Practice Situation Recognition and Evaluation Facilitation Graphic Recording for Evaluation Facilitation Some Issues Not Addressed in This Book The Future of Evaluation Facilitation Final Offering of Resources to Expand Your Evaluation Facilitation Horizons Other Frameworks for Evaluation Facilitation References Index

About the Author :
Michael Quinn Patton is author of more than a dozen books on evaluation including Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, 4th ed (2015), Blue Marble Evaluation (2020), Principles-Focused Evaluation (2018), Facilitating Evaluation (2018) and Developmental Evaluation (2011). Based in Minnesota, he was on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for 18 years and is a former president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Michael is a recipient of the Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Evaluation Practice Award, the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Evaluation Theory Award, and the Research on Evaluation Award, all from AEA He has also received the Lester F. Ward Distinguished Contribution to Applied and Clinical Sociology Award from the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology. In 2021 he received the first Transformative Evaluator Award from EvalYouth. He is an active speaker, trainer, and workshop presenter who has conducted applied research and evaluation on a broad range of issues and has worked with organizations and programs at the international, national, state, provincial, and local levels. Michael has three children—a musician, an engineer, and an evaluator—and four grandchildren. When not evaluating, he enjoys exploring the woods and rivers of Minnesota, where he lives.

Review :
"A must-read for anyone considering a high-impact evaluation!" "The lessons of this book will make a big difference in the way we think about evaluation processes and problem solving."