Editorial
| DOI | 10.1177/1035719X211033719 |
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Editorial
Evaluation Journal of Australasia
2021, Vol. 21(3) 129–131
© The Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/1035719X211033719
journals.sagepub.com/home/evj
Editorial
Bronwyn Rossingh
Welcome to the September 2021 issue. Even in times of crisis, during the COVID-19
era, the Evaluation Journal of Australasia (EJA) has managed to improve its SCImago
Journal Ranking, not just in one category but two. For the category of Development the
EJA improved its ranking from ‘143’in 2019 to ‘122’in 2020. This also moves the
journal into the ‘Q2’quadrant which puts the journal in the mix with many other
prestigious journals. In the category of Sociology and Political Science the EJA
improved its ranking from ‘593’in 2019 to ‘495’in 2020. This is an incredible climb
for a relatively new journal in the SAGE Publishing domain. Essentially, this means
that the EJA is increasing the number of citations received as well as enhancing its
importance and prestige levels. We hope that this trend continues in 2022.
For this issue, we present a medley of interesting and topical articles that showcase
the diverse nature of the field of evaluation. This includes an Aboriginal-led approach to
monitoring and evaluation of well-being; adopting complexity thinking in the design,
implementation and evaluation of health and social development programs; and,
exploring social competencies for effective evaluation practice. These articles highlight
and harness the developing nature of the monitoring and evaluation space.
Monitoring and evaluation as a discipline has come a long way. Ironically, starting
much later than other disciplines and career paths, the field has progressed and de-
veloped at a fast and dynamic rate. The monitoring and evaluation space, in the present
day, receives more and more attention and still has ample growth and development
ahead. It is interesting to ponder what the field will look like in 50 years from now. One
of our intellectual pioneers of the field, Michael Scriven, constantly reminded us of
evaluation as the ‘alpha discipline’- involving checking and improving the credentials
of all other disciplines (Scriven, 2013). In our day-to-day routine, we may not consider
this fact as a strength of the field we work in as there are so many strengths that
evaluation engenders to every field it practices in, let alone the value adding that every
evaluation brings or should bring. Scriven (2013) refers to the evolving nature of
evaluation as a series of paradigm shifts. Scriven refers to the ‘transdisciplinary view’
of evaluation, to describe how the practice of evaluation provides tools to other
disciplines to strengthen and benefit them. The fifth paradigm shift asserted by Scriven
incorporates ethics and importantly a shift to a ‘real’and not just professed belief in
value (Scriven, 2013).
To continue reading
Request your trial