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Evaluation Management
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Evaluation Management
How to Commission and Conduct Evaluations that Matter

First Edition


March 2024 | 184 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

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.

 
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

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

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