Context and its Importance in Evaluation
Context and its Importance in Evaluation
Right on the heels of Jane Davidson’s great new minibook (see previous post) I opened Debra Rog, Jody Fitzpatrick, and Ross Conner’s New Directions for Evaluation publication on Context in Evaluation. I have to say that it has been a while since I enjoyed a New Directions publication so much!
This publication is just excellent: It begins by providing a historical overview of how context in evaluation has been treated (or not treated), and then argues for greater attention to context across multiple areas/contexts and their intersections. These include Decision-making, Problem, Intervention, Evaluation, Broader Environment; within each area one should assess multiple contextual dimensions (physical, organizational, social, culture, tradition, historical, political) (Bragg, 2012). Multiple examples of evaluations using this model are then presented to help the practitioner consider ways in which they might apply Bragg’s model /framework to their own evaluative efforts.
What I liked so much about this publication was how directly it speaks to questions I have in evaluation (how to consider and systematically assess context in evaluation), how it provides strong practitioner examples of how to do so, and how it addresses the implications assessing context has for evaluative findings. It is also very well written and frankly, inviting. Theory is presented but it is well-balanced with application.
This is definitely one of the NDEs that I will reach for often to improve my work. Once you read it too, I think it will become a go-to publication for you!
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