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Issue 15: August 2008 Featured Article: Evaluation Done the Right Way and for the Right Reasons With all of its staff holding membership in the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the Improve Group adheres to their Guidelines and Principles for Evaluators. By following these guidelines, we maintain the ethical standards that guide professional evaluation, while also ensuring that our clients receive meaningful results. We provide here a quick summary of the 5 AEA Guiding Principles, explaining how each one governs the work we do for our clients and their stakeholders. Guiding Principle #1 - Systematic Inquiry. Through every step of research and evaluation, our team members conduct methodical, sound and research-based inquiries. By doing this, we ensure that our work is accurate and credible, and adheres to the highest technical standards specific to each method we use. Our systematic approach also ensures that our methods are accurately communicated in enough detail so clients can clearly understand and interpret our work. We also promise to discuss with our clients the strengths and shortcomings of evaluation questions, and the different approaches that may be used to seek the answers to those questions. Through systematic inquiry we use every possible means to ensure that our evaluation process, from beginning to the end, is clear and easy to understand for our clients. This allows everyone easily to follow how conclusions, results and recommendations were uncovered throughout the evaluative process. After every evaluation we present its limitations and the limitations of the findings. In addition we contextualize the findings with regard to the values, theories, assumptions, methods, analyses and results which may impact the way findings are interpreted. Guiding Principle #2 - Competence. At the Improve Group we maintain a highly competent team, possessing the abilities, skills, education and experience necessary to perform the proposed evaluation tasks. Though our training and abilities cover a wide range of expertise, we seek expert partners if an evaluation falls substantially outside the area of our experience. Our staff is also culturally competent. We work extensively with diverse communities, making every effort to understand the issues that affect them and to find appropriate evaluation strategies that work for them. In addition, we seek awareness of our own culturally-based assumptions—the lenses through which we view the world, and how our views may differ from those of our clients and research participants. Guiding Principle #3 - Integrity/Honesty. The Improve Group maintains high standards of honesty and integrity in every step of the evaluation process. In designing a methodology, establishing project costs, conducting research, working with clients and participants, and managing data, we are guided by clear standards of conduct, open and honest communication, and mutual agreements. When a role or relationship creates a conflict of interest (or the appearance of such) we agree to disclose this to the client prior to accepting the evaluation assignment. Additionally, as part of this guideline, we record all changes and the reasons for those changes that are made to the original project plans. The Improve Group is careful not to misrepresent our methods, data or findings, and we take measures to prevent and correct any misuse of our work by others. Guiding Principle #4 - Respect for People. An evaluator must respect the dignity, self-worth and security of all those involved in an evaluation -- program participants, respondents, clients and stakeholders. We ensure respect for people by applying for IRB approval of projects, when there is a potential for human subjects concerns, seeking informed consent from all participants, and informing participants of the limits and scope of confidentiality prior to participation. In addition, we work to understand the relevant contextual elements of every evaluation, namely timing, political and social climate, economic conditions, geographic location and other simultaneous activities that may impact an evaluation. At every stage of the evaluation process, we account for characteristics such as disability, culture, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Guiding Principle #5 - Responsibility for General and Public Welfare. In the planning and reporting stages of an evaluation, the perspectives, interests and values of all stakeholders must be considered. This principle includes upholding client confidentiality and contractual agreements, allowing relevant stakeholders access to evaluation results and doing our best to disseminate those results in a clear and timely manner. It is possible that that the public interest may not be the same as that of the client or funder of an evaluation. This principle asks that we look beyond just analysis of a specific stakeholder and also take into account the well being of society as a whole. Evaluators have an obligation to consider public welfare, interest and good in our evaluations and results. As a professional organization, we take our commitment to the AEA standards very seriously. Our dedication to these standards ensures that our clients receive the best evaluation experience possible with explicit consideration of ethical, moral and professional boundaries. For more information on the AEA and its guiding principles go to http://www.eval.org/GPTraining/GPTrainingOverview.asp
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Upcoming Grants and Requests for Proposals  by Susan Murphy August is the doorway leading to back-to-school. At the Improve Group we are encouraged to continue to expand our education through professional development opportunities. Every time I take a class or attend a seminar I long for my school days. To love evaluation you really should love learning. The opportunities below all serve education needs. If you have any questions about grants and proposal writing, please contact me at susanm@theimprovegroup.com.
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