Editorial
| Author | Delwyn Goodrick Editors,Rosalind Hurworth |
| Published date | 01 September 2005 |
| Date | 01 September 2005 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X0500500101 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Evaluation Journal of Australasia, Vol. 5 (new series), No. 1
2
EDITORIAL
The Evaluation Journal of Australasia aims to
attract national and international contributions
and we are especially pleased that in this
edition we have articles from New Zealand,
Australia and Canada. In this edition a range
of evaluation practice issues are discussed,
including negotiating roles and relationships
with clients, collaborative program and
evaluation planning, and identifying
stakeholder values.
In the fi rst article Neil Lunt and Ian Trotman
provide a fascinating overview of the growth
and consolidation of evaluation capacity in
New Zealand. The phases and stages will
be familiar to many readers, and similarly
to Australia the history of evaluation in NZ
appears to have been marked by periods
of enthusiasm and commitment along with
periods of neglect and cynicism about its
potential to inform decision-making.
Anne Barlow shares a framework for examining
issues of evaluation purpose and use. She
proposes a series of useful refl ection questions
that may be used to identify issues that may
infl uence the acceptability of an evaluation.
Program logic models have an established
place in an evaluator’s repertoire. While a
considerable literature exists that provides
guidelines for the development of a program
logic chart or program theory, little has been
written about the experience of constructing
a program logic template collaboratively
with stakeholders. Janice Laycock presents a
fascinating account of the iterative process of
developing a logic model with stakeholders
in a Canadian project. She discusses the
tensions and challenges that emerged from the
planning phases and outlines key learnings
from the process.
Anthea Rutter et al. discuss differences in
stakeholder perspectives in an evaluation of a
depression awareness project in Victoria. The
evaluators in this program made a systematic
attempt to explore and document differing values.
Then Tim Wyatt, Robert Carbines and Leone Robb
address the importance to evaluation practice of
developing and maintaining effective relationships
with stakeholders. While the evaluator’s technical
expertise is important, the way in which the
professional partnership is managed may infl uence
the process of the evaluation and determine the
utilisation of fi ndings. The authors discuss their
experiences and learning about stakeholder relations
with reference to a large government program
designed to provide support and accommodation
across Australia.
In the fi rst methods article in this edition,
Rosalind Hurworth and Andrea Argirides present
the dilemmas experienced during the course of
fi eldwork by drawing on two case examples within
their own practice.
Next John Mitchell, Margaret Hamilton and
Catherine Hayman review the comparative value
of three different approaches to assessing return on
investment in their article. The analysis of the three
approaches was not an academic exercise, but was
used to assist in the decision-making of Centrelink
staff about appropriate analyses of learning
programs. Readers will fi nd their review of return on
investment, return on training investment and value
for money approaches very thought provoking.
In this edition we have included information about
the upcoming conference of the Australasian
Evaluation Society. These conferences provide a
wonderful opportunity to meet other practitioners
and we encourage you to attend. The conference
includes a range of social activities and for those
keen to escape the gloom of winter, Brisbane’s
weather is mild and warm in October. We look
forward to seeing you there.
Rosalind Hurworth and Delwyn Goodrick
Editors
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