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
Weizsacker 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
General
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