Ethical Challenges

Abstract

All evaluators face the challenge of striving to adhere to the highest possible standards of ethical conduct. Translating the AEA's Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee's Program Evaluation Standards into everyday practice, however, can be a complex, uncertain, and frustrating endeavor. Moreover, acting in an ethical fashion can require considerable risk-taking on the evaluator's part. In the Ethical Challenges column, commentators share their views of how evaluators might respond to specific problematic situations, linking their analyses to the principles and standards they believe are most relevant to the case. Not surprisingly, the perspectives that commentators offer are not always in agreement. When this occurs, reflection on the nature and sources of these differences of opinion can enhance our sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of our evaluation work, and our awareness of the options available for addressing them.

Summary of American Journal of Evaluation, Volume 25(4), 2004

“…Such an effort to "sum up" previous work in a section of AJE is not completely new. Two years ago, Michael Morris (2002), section editor of Ethical Challenges, invited Lois-ellin Datta (2002) and Nick Smith (2002) to examine previous commentators' responses to 10 ethical challenges Morris had previously posed in the section. As…”

Reflections on Guiding Principle E

“…In addition, at least one session focusing on the principles can usually be found at the annual conference of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). 1 Despite the attention that the principles get in these ways and through the activities of AEA's Ethics Committee, few critical reflections on one or more of the principles have been published since 1995. Notable exceptions include Datta (2002), Smith (2002), Mabry (1999), and Mertens (2002.The articles by Datta (2002) and Smith ( 2002) are the result of invited meta-analyses of the responses of commentators to Ethical Challenges scenarios from 1998 to 2001 (Morris, 2002). Both authors remarked on the uneven application of the Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1994) Program Evaluation Standards to the analysis of the scenarios, but concluded that they are nonetheless useful.…”

“…The articles by Datta (2002) and Smith ( 2002) are the result of invited meta-analyses of the responses of commentators to Ethical Challenges scenarios from 1998 to 2001 (Morris, 2002). Both authors remarked on the uneven application of the Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1994) Program Evaluation Standards to the analysis of the scenarios, but concluded that they are nonetheless useful.…”

From the Editor

“…Such an effort to "sum up" previous work in a section of AJE is not completely new. Two years ago, Michael Morris (2002), section editor of Ethical Challenges, invited Lois-ellin Datta (2002) and Nick Smith (2002) to examine previous commentators' responses to 10 ethical challenges Morris had previously posed in the section. As was the case with the Datta and Smith reflections, Jody Fitzpatrick has provided a fascinating piece.…”