Hey Mom, what’s this evaluation that you are busy with all the time?

Through the ingenious use of dialogue, this book discusses key issues of evaluation, such as: the origins of evaluation knowledge, the historical and social role of evaluation, concerns about ethics and social justice; dealing with the complexity of the real world; the challenge of giving voice to a broad spectrum of cultures and narratives; and the duties, rights, and responsibilities of an evaluator.

You mean to tell me it’s a real profession!?!

The book analyzes important considerations for conceptualizing and carrying out evaluation in varied programs and projects, providing thought-provoking answers regardless of one’s own approach to evaluation. Providing a coherent professional worldview, it gives the reader an in-depth understanding of program evaluation as a vital, research-based, independent profession.

Both theoretical and practical, this text is an important resource for practitioners, students enrolled in program evaluation courses, and their teachers.