Читать книгу An Introduction to Evaluation - Chris Fox - Страница 26

Evaluation theory is largely focused inwards on the evaluation profession and helps evaluators discuss their practice with each other (Donaldson and Lipsey 2006, Shadish 1998). However, evaluation theories can also help evaluators explain various evaluation approaches and practices to those commissioning evaluations, thereby helping find an optimal fit between an evaluation team and the needs and interests of the evaluation commissioner (Donaldson and Lipsey 2006). Alkin and Christie (2004), building on work by Alkin (2004), developed an ‘evaluation theory tree’. They looked at the work of a number of prominent evaluators and placed each of these on one of three branches of a tree designed to indicate the three streams or traditions in evaluation theory. One concentrated on evaluation methods, another on how data were to be judged or valued, and the third on users and use (Mark et al. 2006). The branches represented the evaluator’s relative degree of emphasis (ibid.) on the three issues, and in the graphical representation some evaluators sit close to the junction of two branches while others are located at the far end of a branch. Mark and colleagues suggest the evaluation theory tree is useful in highlighting some of the major conceptual emphases in the field of evaluation. We consider evaluation theory in more detail in Chapter 12.