Beyond Use: Understanding Evaluation's Influence on Attitudes and Actions

Abstract

Articles ABSTRACTAlthough use is a core construct in the field of evaluation, neither the change processes through which evaluation affects attitudes, beliefs, and actions, nor the interim outcomes that lie between the evaluation and its ultimate goal-social betterment-have been sufficiently developed. We draw a number of these change mechanisms, such as justification, persuasion, and policy diffusion, from the social science research literature, and organize them into a framework that has three levels: individual, interpersonal, and collective. We illustrate how these change processes can be linked together to form "pathways" or working hypotheses that link evaluation processes to outcomes that move us along the road toward the goal of social betterment. In addition, we join with Kirkhart (2000) in moving beyond use, to focus our thinking on evaluation influence. Influence, combined with the set of mechanisms and interim outcomes presented here, offers a better way for thinking about, communicating, and adding to the evidence base about the consequences of evaluation and the relationship of evaluation to social betterment.

Evidence to impact: A community knowledge mobilisation evaluation framework

“…Much of the existing research evaluating knowledgeto-action initiatives is focused on implementation and the examination of more advanced phases of implementation to assess fidelity of the program to the original model (Durlak & DuPre 2008). In knowledge mobilisation of evidence-based community initiatives, an overemphasis on implementation can result in a narrow lens through which to examine community uptake and use of the knowledge shared (Henry & Mark 2003) for three main reasons. First, there are many different forms of knowledge use.…”

“…We have informed considerations of knowledge non-use and the matter of context in understanding justifications for non-use by drawing upon knowledge utilisation theory in program evaluation (Cousins 2004). The overarching concept of 'pathways of influence', in which evidence informs actions intended to facilitate positive social change (Henry & Mark 2003), is also based in knowledge utilisation literature.…”

Designing a socio-normative intervention to reduce anemia in Odisha India: A formative research protocol

“…The evidence-to-action gap is “stickier” in cases of multi- and trans-disciplinary research programs and in research programs, such as this, that deal with complex, inter-sectorial issues 39 40 . These challenges have been studied from various disciplinary perspectives including diffusion of innovation theory 41 42 comparative policy and political science studies 43 44 , knowledge utilization theory and evaluation influence studies 45 47 , and the science of team science 45 , among others. What has received less attention, and what comprises a significant focus of this project, are the socio-normative factors that guide policymaking.…”

Editor's notes

“…Process use has assisted in establishing empirical and conceptual links between evaluation use and organizational learning (for example, Cousins and Earl, 1995;Preskill and Torres, 1999;Shulha and Cousins, 1997); documenting consequences of participatory evaluation (Cousins, 2003;Cousins and Earl, 1995;King, 1995King, , 2002; demonstrating ties between evaluation use and cognate fields such as research use and knowledge use (for example, Cousins and Shulha, 2006); developing compelling arguments for moving beyond conceptions of use to understandings of evaluation influence, more broadly defined (Kirkhart, 2000;Henry and Mark, 2003;Mark and Henry, 2004); and understanding evaluation capacity building in emerging ways (for example, Compton, Glover-Kudon, Smith, and Avery, 2002;Cousins, Goh, Clark, and Lee, 2004).…”