Evaluation and the information needs of organizational leaders

Understanding Dimensions of Organizational Evaluation Capacity

“…Underlying this fundamental shift in evaluation practice has been the recognition of the importance of participatory processes in fostering shared understandings of an organization's goals and achievements and in constructing new knowledge that can bring about organizational improvement Morabito, 2002;Owen & Lambert, 1998;Preskill, Zuckerman, & Matthews, 2003;Robinson & Cousins, 2004;Rogers & Hough, 1995;Sanders, 2002;Torres & Preskill, 2001). …”

“…Organizations exhibiting exemplary levels of evaluation capacity for this dimension integrate evaluation in their decision-making processes by inviting evaluators to senior-level administration meetings , maintaining formal communication channels between evaluators and program managers, incorporating such activities as needs assessment and evaluability assessments to program planning (Brazil, 1999), and positioning the evaluation function where it has the greatest likelihood of contributing to program management decisions (Kegeles, 2005;Owen & Lambert, 1998). The use of evaluation results in budgetary and other types of decisions is also a regular occurrence within the organization.…”

Beyond being an evaluator: The multiplicity of roles of the internal evaluator

“…However, evaluatorconsultants, combining their evaluation expertise, management skills, and institutional memory, can still appropriately examine these phenomena by defining the problem and identifying the correct methodology for addressing the issue. (p. 295) Clifford and Sherman (1983), Morabito (2002), and Owen and Lambert (1998) emphasize the organizational development consultant role of the evaluator, whereas Love (1983b) and Brazil (1999) perceive the evaluator as an advisor or a consultant to program managers. The primary objective for internal evaluator's consultancy is to generate evaluative processes and information that have a positive effect on the organization and its initiatives.…”

Evaluation culture: A definition and analysis of its development within organisations

“…This situation is changing. Most organisations recognise that important executive-level decisions should involve others besides senior managers, and I have previously argued that evaluators should work cooperatively in providing 'just in time' information for leaders (Owen & Lambert 1998). This implies that evidence and empirically based knowledge has the capacity to enhance decision-making and the effectiveness of organisations, for example by making managers and other practitioners more aware of the context in which they operate, understanding the needs of their clients, determining the effects of major initiatives, and being accountable to funding sources.…”