Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation write by Apollo M. Nkwake. This book was released on 2012-08-30. Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. A major reason complex programs are so difficult to evaluate is that the assumptions that inspire them are poorly articulated. Stakeholders of such programs are often unclear about how the change process will unfold. Thus, it is so difficult to reasonably anticipate the early and midterm changes that need to happen in order for a longer-term goalto be reached. The lack of clarity about the “mini-steps” that must be taken to reach a long-term outcome not only makes the task of evaluating a complex initiative challenging, but reduces the likelihood that all of the important factors related to the long term goal will be addressed. Most of the resources that have attempted to address this dilemma have been popularized as theory of change or sometimes program theory approaches. Although these approaches emphasize and elaborate the sequence of changes/mini steps that lead to the long-term goal of interest and the connections between program activities and outcomes that occur at each step of the way, they do not do enough to clarify how program managers or evaluators should deal with assumptions. Assumptions, the glue that holds all the pieces together, remain abstract and far from applicable. In this book the author tackles this important assumptions theme head-on-covering a breadth of ground from the epistemology of development assumptions, to the art of making logical assumptions as well as recognizing, explicit zing and testing assumptions with in an elaborate program theory from program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation
Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation write by Apollo M. Nkwake. This book was released on 2019-11-27. Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. This book discusses the crucial place that assumptions hold in conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating development programs. It suggests simple ways for stakeholders and evaluators to 1) examine their assumptions about program theory and environmental conditions and 2) develop and carry out effective program monitoring and evaluation in light of those assumptions. A survey of evaluators from an international development agency reviewed the state of practice on assumptions-aware evaluation. This 2nd edition has been updated with further illustrations, case studies, and frameworks that have been researched and tested in the years since the first edition. Regardless of geography or goal, development programs and policies are fueled by a complex network of implicit ideas. Stakeholders may hold assumptions about purposes, outcomes, methodology, and the value of project evaluation and evaluators—which may or may not be shared by the evaluators. A major barrier to viable program evaluations is that development programs are based on assumptions that often are not well articulated. In designing programs, stakeholders often lack clear outlines for how implemented interventions will bring desired changes. This lack of clarity masks critical risks to program success and makes it challenging to evaluate such programs. Methods that have attempted to address this dilemma have been popularized as theory of change or other theory‐based approaches. Often, however, theory-based methods do not sufficiently clarify how program managers or evaluators should work with the assumptions inherent in the connections between the steps. The critical examination of assumptions in evaluation is essential for effective evaluations and evaluative thinking. "How does one think evaluatively? It all begins with assumptions. Systematically articulating, examining, and testing assumptions is the foundation of evaluative thinking... This book, more than any other, explains how to build a strong foundation for effective interventions and useful evaluation by rigorously working with assumptions." —Michael Quinn Patton, PhD. Author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation and co-editor of THOUGHTWORK: Thinking, Action, and the Fate of the World, USA. "This updated edition presents us with a new opportunity to delve into both the theoretical and practical aspects of paradigmatic, prescriptive, and causal assumptions. We need to learn, and apply these insights with the deep attention they deserve." —Zenda Ofir, PhD. Independent Evaluator, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy, Berlin, Germany. Honorary Professor, School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. “This thought-provoking book explains why assumptions are an essential condition within the theories and methodologies of evaluation; and how assumptions influence the ways that evaluators approach their work...It will enrich the ways that evaluators develop their models, devise their methodologies, interpret their data, and interact with their stakeholders.” —Jonny Morell, Ph.D., President, 4.669... Evaluation and Planning, Editor Emeritus, Evaluation and Program Planning
Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology
Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology write by Apollo M. Nkwake. This book was released on 2015-08-10. Credibility, Validity, and Assumptions in Program Evaluation Methodology available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. This book focuses on assumptions underlying methods choice in program evaluation. Credible program evaluation extends beyond the accuracy of research designs to include arguments justifying the appropriateness of methods. An important part of this justification is explaining the assumptions made about the validity of methods. This book provides a framework for understanding methodological assumptions, identifying the decisions made at each stage of the evaluation process, the major forms of validity affected by those decisions, and the preconditions for and assumptions about those validities. Though the selection of appropriate research methodology is not a new topic within social development research, previous publications suggest only advantages and disadvantages of using various methods and when to use them. This book goes beyond other publications to analyze the assumptions underlying actual methodological choices in evaluation studies and how these eventually influence evaluation quality. The analysis offered is supported by a collation of assumptions collected from a case study of 34 evaluations. Due to its in-depth analysis, strong theoretical basis, and practice examples, Credibility, Validity and Assumptions is a must-have resource for researchers, students, university professors and practitioners in program evaluation. Importantly, it provides tools for the application of appropriate research methods in program evaluation
Emerging Practices in International Development Evaluation
Emerging Practices in International Development Evaluation - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Emerging Practices in International Development Evaluation write by Stewart I. Donaldson. This book was released on 2013-03-01. Emerging Practices in International Development Evaluation available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. The impetus for this volume comes from reflecting on many years of experience, successes and failures in development evaluation in Asia and Africa, and from recent work supported by the Rockefeller Foundation on Rethinking, Reshaping, and Reforming Evaluation. The concepts, frameworks and ideas presented in this volume are a useful contribution to the ongoing efforts at rethinking, reforming and reshaping international development evaluation. They come from leading thinkers and practitioners in development, evaluation, research and academia who have recognized that development evaluation must evolve if it is to respond to the challenges of the 21st Century and play a meaningful role in social and economic transformation. This volume will be of great interest to evaluation scholars, practitioners, and students, particularly to those interested in international development projects, programs, and policies. This book will be appropriate for a wide range of courses, included Introduction to Evaluation, International Development Evaluation, Program Evaluation, Policy Evaluation, and evaluation courses in International Development, International Relations, Public Policy, Public Health, Human Services, Sociology, and Psychology.
Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation
Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation write by Michael Bamberger. This book was released on 2015-10-16. Dealing With Complexity in Development Evaluation available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Recognizing that complexity calls for innovative, conceptual, and methodological solutions, Dealing with Complexity in Development Evaluation by Michael Bamberger, Jos Vaessen, and Estelle Raimondo offers practical guidance to policymakers, managers, and evaluation practitioners on how to design and implement complexity-responsive evaluations that can be undertaken in the real world of time, budget, data, and political constraints. Introductory chapters present comprehensive, non-technical overviews of the most common evaluation tools and methodologies, and additional content addresses more cutting-edge material. The book also includes six case study chapters to illustrate examples of various evaluation contexts from around the world.
