Evaluation Management

How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter
First Edition
E. Jane Davidson - Real Evaluation Consulting
Evaluation Management
December 2023 | 184 pages | Sage US
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Description

Evaluation Management: How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter helps evaluation teams and commissioners achieve results that meet utilization and organizational learning goals and inform positive change for programs and communities. Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas and E. Jane Davidson provide insights on both the tactical and strategic levels of evaluation management, using approaches and skills from project management, administration and logistics, budgeting, team management, leadership development, communication, coaching, systems thinking, and negotiation. They also demonstrate how intentionality for equity, sustainability and culturally responsive practices is essential for ensuring an evaluation’s relevance and enhancing productive stakeholder engagement. With plenty of practical guidance from many years of experience, the authors provide a valuable resource for student readers, experienced evaluators, and commissioners of evaluation.



Contents

Chapter 1. Overview Of Evaluation Management

  • What Is Evaluation Management?
  • Whose Job Is Evaluation Management?
  • What Tasks Does the Evaluation Management Job Entail?
  • What Are the Key Evaluation Management Competencies?
  • Conclusion

Chapter 2. Commissioning Great Evaluations

  • Deciding Whether and What to Evaluate
  • Evaluation Criteria and Scoping
  • Determining the Best Way to Contract an External Evaluation
  • Getting Practical: The Process of Writing an Evaluation Terms of Reference
  • Selecting a Strong Evaluation Team (or Sole Evaluators)
  • Selecting the Best Evaluation Implementor
  • Building Capacity in Commissioning Evaluation

Chapter 3. Pre-Start Up: Analyzing the Evaluation Requirements

  • Pre-Proposal: Understanding the Terms of Reference
  • Responding to the Terms of Reference
  • Clarifying, Negotiating, and Selection
  • Upon Evaluation Contract Award

Chapter 4. Managing The Evaluation Contract Start-Up

  • Evaluation Management Structure
  • Goals of Evaluation Start-Up
  • Starting in the Middle
  • Key Evaluation Start-Up Tasks

Chapter 5. Managing The Evaluation Team

  • Goals of Team Management in Evaluation
  • Configurations of Evaluation Teams
  • Managing Team Performance
  • Managing Multiple Evaluation Teams at the Same Time

Chapter 6. Managing Data Collection

  • Prior to Initiating Data Collection
  • Early in Data Collection
  • Active Data Collection
  • Managing and Archiving Data
  • Communication
  • Good Monitoring Practices
  • Addressing the Unexpected

Chapter 7. Managing Data Analysis

  • Role and Scope of Data Analysis in an Evaluation
  • Important Questions in Data Analysis
  • The Cost of Skipping Data Analysis
  • The Role of the Evaluation Manager in Data Analysis

Chapter 8. Managing Evaluation Reporting

  • Principles and Practices of Good Reporting
  • Written Reports
  • The Debriefing Meeting
  • Reviews and Approval

Chapter 9: Managing Evaluation Use and Influence

  • No, Evaluation Use and Influence Is Not Only About Implementing Recommendations!
  • What Is the Evaluation Manager’s Job in Evaluation Use and Influence?
  • What Drives Evaluation Use and Influence
  • Managing Context and Politics
  • Managing the Process and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Developing an Evaluation Use and Influence Strategy
  • Involving Key Influencers in Evaluation
  • Strengthening Evaluation Culture and Capacity While Facilitating Evaluation Use

Chapter 10. Building Evaluation Management Capacity for Evaluation Commissioners

  • Building a Strong Evaluation System
  • Evaluation Culture
  • Evaluation Competencies for Commissioners of Evaluation
  • The Operational Level of Evaluation

References

References

Index

Index

Description

Evaluation Management: How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter helps evaluation teams and commissioners achieve results that meet utilization and organizational learning goals and inform positive change for programs and communities. Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas and E. Jane Davidson provide insights on both the tactical and strategic levels of evaluation management, using approaches and skills from project management, administration and logistics, budgeting, team management, leadership development, communication, coaching, systems thinking, and negotiation. They also demonstrate how intentionality for equity, sustainability and culturally responsive practices is essential for ensuring an evaluation’s relevance and enhancing productive stakeholder engagement. With plenty of practical guidance from many years of experience, the authors provide a valuable resource for student readers, experienced evaluators, and commissioners of evaluation.



Contents

Chapter 1. Overview Of Evaluation Management

  • What Is Evaluation Management?
  • Whose Job Is Evaluation Management?
  • What Tasks Does the Evaluation Management Job Entail?
  • What Are the Key Evaluation Management Competencies?
  • Conclusion

Chapter 2. Commissioning Great Evaluations

  • Deciding Whether and What to Evaluate
  • Evaluation Criteria and Scoping
  • Determining the Best Way to Contract an External Evaluation
  • Getting Practical: The Process of Writing an Evaluation Terms of Reference
  • Selecting a Strong Evaluation Team (or Sole Evaluators)
  • Selecting the Best Evaluation Implementor
  • Building Capacity in Commissioning Evaluation

Chapter 3. Pre-Start Up: Analyzing the Evaluation Requirements

  • Pre-Proposal: Understanding the Terms of Reference
  • Responding to the Terms of Reference
  • Clarifying, Negotiating, and Selection
  • Upon Evaluation Contract Award

Chapter 4. Managing The Evaluation Contract Start-Up

  • Evaluation Management Structure
  • Goals of Evaluation Start-Up
  • Starting in the Middle
  • Key Evaluation Start-Up Tasks

Chapter 5. Managing The Evaluation Team

  • Goals of Team Management in Evaluation
  • Configurations of Evaluation Teams
  • Managing Team Performance
  • Managing Multiple Evaluation Teams at the Same Time

Chapter 6. Managing Data Collection

  • Prior to Initiating Data Collection
  • Early in Data Collection
  • Active Data Collection
  • Managing and Archiving Data
  • Communication
  • Good Monitoring Practices
  • Addressing the Unexpected

Chapter 7. Managing Data Analysis

  • Role and Scope of Data Analysis in an Evaluation
  • Important Questions in Data Analysis
  • The Cost of Skipping Data Analysis
  • The Role of the Evaluation Manager in Data Analysis

Chapter 8. Managing Evaluation Reporting

  • Principles and Practices of Good Reporting
  • Written Reports
  • The Debriefing Meeting
  • Reviews and Approval

Chapter 9: Managing Evaluation Use and Influence

  • No, Evaluation Use and Influence Is Not Only About Implementing Recommendations!
  • What Is the Evaluation Manager’s Job in Evaluation Use and Influence?
  • What Drives Evaluation Use and Influence
  • Managing Context and Politics
  • Managing the Process and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Developing an Evaluation Use and Influence Strategy
  • Involving Key Influencers in Evaluation
  • Strengthening Evaluation Culture and Capacity While Facilitating Evaluation Use

Chapter 10. Building Evaluation Management Capacity for Evaluation Commissioners

  • Building a Strong Evaluation System
  • Evaluation Culture
  • Evaluation Competencies for Commissioners of Evaluation
  • The Operational Level of Evaluation

References

References

Index

Index

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Evaluation Management

How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter


December 2023 | 184 pages | Sage US

Format Published Date ISBN Price

Evaluation Management: How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter helps evaluation teams and commissioners achieve results that meet utilization and organizational learning goals and inform positive change for programs and communities. Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas and E. Jane Davidson provide insights on both the tactical and strategic levels of evaluation management, using approaches and skills from project management, administration and logistics, budgeting, team management, leadership development, communication, coaching, systems thinking, and negotiation. They also demonstrate how intentionality for equity, sustainability and culturally responsive practices is essential for ensuring an evaluation’s relevance and enhancing productive stakeholder engagement. With plenty of practical guidance from many years of experience, the authors provide a valuable resource for student readers, experienced evaluators, and commissioners of evaluation.




Table Of Contents:

  • Chapter 1. Overview Of Evaluation Management
  • What Is Evaluation Management?
  • Whose Job Is Evaluation Management?
  • What Tasks Does the Evaluation Management Job Entail?
  • What Are the Key Evaluation Management Competencies?
  • Conclusion
  • Chapter 2. Commissioning Great Evaluations
  • Deciding Whether and What to Evaluate
  • Evaluation Criteria and Scoping
  • Determining the Best Way to Contract an External Evaluation
  • Getting Practical: The Process of Writing an Evaluation Terms of Reference
  • Selecting a Strong Evaluation Team (or Sole Evaluators)
  • Selecting the Best Evaluation Implementor
  • Building Capacity in Commissioning Evaluation
  • Chapter 3. Pre-Start Up: Analyzing the Evaluation Requirements
  • Pre-Proposal: Understanding the Terms of Reference
  • Responding to the Terms of Reference
  • Clarifying, Negotiating, and Selection
  • Upon Evaluation Contract Award
  • Chapter 4. Managing The Evaluation Contract Start-Up
  • Evaluation Management Structure
  • Goals of Evaluation Start-Up
  • Starting in the Middle
  • Key Evaluation Start-Up Tasks
  • Chapter 5. Managing The Evaluation Team
  • Goals of Team Management in Evaluation
  • Configurations of Evaluation Teams
  • Managing Team Performance
  • Managing Multiple Evaluation Teams at the Same Time
  • Chapter 6. Managing Data Collection
  • Prior to Initiating Data Collection
  • Early in Data Collection
  • Active Data Collection
  • Managing and Archiving Data
  • Communication
  • Good Monitoring Practices
  • Addressing the Unexpected
  • Chapter 7. Managing Data Analysis
  • Role and Scope of Data Analysis in an Evaluation
  • Important Questions in Data Analysis
  • The Cost of Skipping Data Analysis
  • The Role of the Evaluation Manager in Data Analysis
  • Chapter 8. Managing Evaluation Reporting
  • Principles and Practices of Good Reporting
  • Written Reports
  • The Debriefing Meeting
  • Reviews and Approval
  • Chapter 9: Managing Evaluation Use and Influence
  • No, Evaluation Use and Influence Is Not Only About Implementing Recommendations!
  • What Is the Evaluation Manager’s Job in Evaluation Use and Influence?
  • What Drives Evaluation Use and Influence
  • Managing Context and Politics
  • Managing the Process and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Developing an Evaluation Use and Influence Strategy
  • Involving Key Influencers in Evaluation
  • Strengthening Evaluation Culture and Capacity While Facilitating Evaluation Use
  • Chapter 10. Building Evaluation Management Capacity for Evaluation Commissioners
  • Building a Strong Evaluation System
  • Evaluation Culture
  • Evaluation Competencies for Commissioners of Evaluation
  • The Operational Level of Evaluation
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

Evaluation quality and use depend on evaluation management. That makes this book essential for all evaluation professionals and commissioners of evaluations.
Michael Quinn Patton, Utilization-Focused Evaluation
This is a comprehensive "one-stop shop" guide for evaluation practitioners and evaluation managers: practical, succinct, and full of common-sense advice and wisdom. It shows that the authors speak from experience and expertise.
Huilan Krenn, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
A savvy introduction to evaluation management by authors who had, independently from each other and almost alone in the community, provided insight on this topic. Evaluation will look more significant and worthwhile if managed the way it is suggested in this book.
Nicoletta Stame, Sapienza University of Roma, Italy
Catsambas and Davidson provide a practical, easy-to-read overview of how to manage program evaluations.
Marcus Galeste, Arizona State University

Recommendations