Can Evaluation Help an Organization to Learn?

Abstract

One of the main objectives of evaluation is to promote organizational learning. However, even a well-used evaluation system does not generate learning automatically. This article discusses learning with reference to experiences in the Norwegian aid administration. It shows that evaluations generate learning in two modes: via involvement and via communication. If an organization wants to maximize its learning, it should pursue strategies to let the two modes supplement each other. Learning must be related to what people know—their knowledge structures—and what they need to know to do their job well. Evaluation systems may be only marginally effective when there is a need to change knowledge structures rapidly, particularly if the organization lacks dominating knowledge structures.

Understanding Dimensions of Organizational Evaluation Capacity

“…By learning about and participating in evaluation activities, program practitioners gain control over what evaluation questions are being asked, can better define the context of the program under study (i.e., can include information related to mitigating factors that may have an impact on the program's ability to attain its expected outcomes), and can offer relevant interpretations of the data collected over the course of the evaluation. They can also make better use of the evaluation findings and apply these to organizational problems (Forss, Samset & Cracknell, 1994;Preskill & Torres, 2000).…”

“…Double-loop learning focuses on revisiting tightly held assumptions and beliefs about organizational goals and is closer to the definition of conceptual evaluation use (Alkin & Taut, 2002;Forss et al, 1994;. It has also been suggested that institutionalized evaluation practices, sometimes referred to as organizational evaluative inquiry, can contribute to deutero learning, or learning how to learn, by providing organizational members with the tools and skills required to learn from past organizational problems .…”

Primary and Secondary Barriers to the Evaluation of Change

“…• improve management decision making (Calder, 1994;Love, 1991); • create new insights and mutual understanding (Preskill and Torres, 1999;Weiss, 1990); • lead to wider acceptance and commitment to change initiatives (Carnall, 1995;Kirkpatrick, 1985); • develop innovation (Forss et al, 1994); and • provide opportunity for reflection prior to undertaking further change (Patrickson et al, 1995).…”

Conformity Assessment as a Tool for Organizational Learning in Large Engineering and Construction Projects

“…The modeling phase was based on the theoretical branch of organizational learning developed by Argyris and Schön (1996) and also on the program evaluation model proposed by Forss, Cracknell and Samset (1994). The model design relied on the most updated stream of the program evaluation fi eld.…”