Chris L. S. CorynWestern Michigan University
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation
Evaluator Competency
Just Because You Have a Library Card Doesn’t Make You Yoda
Kia ora…and special acknowledgments to…
Kate McKegg, E. Jane Davidson, my students, the conference organizing committee, & attendees…
it is an honor and privilege to have this opportunity
An abbreviated life history…that has significantly influenced my world view and evaluation practice
Bad is bad and good is good and it is the job of evaluators to decide which is which”
— Michael Scriven
“
Current influences…
Other influences…
Davidson
Cook
Shadish
Patton
Cronbach
Stufflebeam
Chelimsky
Hattie
Competency…
in most cultural and contextual environments
knowledge, skills, abilities, traits, & other characteristics needed to conduct high quality evaluation…
A note of explanation…
others are ‘worker’-oriented
some competencies are ‘work’-oriented…
Technical competencies…
others often matter more
really, really matter…
Why?‘wheat from the chaff’
As mentioned by Kushner yesterday…
and the requisite competencies are daunting
the demands placed on evaluators continue to expand…
The umbrella…
theory, method, & practice
Theoretically knowledgeable…
roots, history, & approaches
Methodologically knowledgeable…
quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, & evaluation-specific
One ‘tool’ is usually insufficient…
Use-oriented…
maximize appropriate use
Modest…
do not pretend to be ‘all knowing’
recognize the limits of knowledge claims…
Benevolent…
not self-serving
well-meaning…
Virtuous…
culturally appropriate
adhere to ethical and moral principles…
Able to impart information…
verbal, nonverbal, formal, & informal
tailored to audience…
Proactive…
act in advance
foresee potential problems…
Maximize cost-benefit…
using available resources
through project management…
Tolerance for ambiguity…
able to respond to uncertainty
Quick-thinking…
act on one’s ‘feet’
Able to provide the ‘bottom line’…
rather than a Rorschach test
Thick-skinned…able to accept criticism
and respond appropriately
The ‘library card’…
having a library card does not one make a good evaluator…”
“
— Yoda (as paraphrased by Chris Coryn)
In conclusion…
nontechnical traits not duly considered in most
taxonomies
Stevahn et al. — and others — fail to account for several important attributes of ‘high quality’ evaluators…
Thank You for Listening!