Michael Patton was the one who initially popularized the idea of developmental evaluation. It calls for enduring connections between program or project employees and the evaluators. The role of the evaluator in developmental evaluation is to assist project/program managers and employees to constantly gather, analyze, and apply information to support continuing decision-making. Feedback can be given concurrently because evaluation is ongoing rather than only at certain times. As a result, modifications to projects and programs can be made continuously. Development evaluation is a method that is especially suitable for work in challenging or unclear situations where the need for evidence-based judgment is present throughout a project or program.
DE’s main goal is to give programmers quick feedback they may utilize to modify and enhance their projects or programs. It is mentioned and highlighted that rigor in DE is established by asking detailed and accurate questions about the process and findings, spotting patterns and new information in those findings, and ensuring that these are incorporated into the program via a feedback loop.
These significant ways are where developmental evaluation differs from conventional types of evaluation (modified by Dozois et al., 2010, from Westley, Zimmerman & Patton, 2006).
- Adaptive learning is prioritized over being accountable to a third party.
- The objective is to offer in-the-moment feedback and insights to promote progress, and the evaluator joins the team.
- The evaluation job goes beyond just gathering and analyzing data; the evaluator actively shapes developments and aids participants in drawing lessons from them.
- The approach is adaptable, with new metrics and monitoring mechanisms growing as understanding of the problem develops and the initiative’s aims emerge.
- The evaluation aims to see how things operate and suggest fresh ideas.
Developmental Evaluation Process #
Traditional evaluation techniques rely on a logic model that justifies why the desired program outputs may be anticipated given the program’s set inputs and activities. The “systems thinking” method used by DE, in contrast, involves mapping linkages and interconnectedness and articulating assumptions about how change happens and how the social “problem” being treated by a program is a component of a broader system (Patton, 2011).
The desired program strategy is the foundation for developmental evaluation, but it may initially be somewhat nebulous. Some elements of this strategy won’t be implemented as construction gets underway because it may turn out that they are unrealistic or no longer desired. Other plan elements will sharpen and deliberate, and new strategic elements will appear. The final plan will combine the initial approach and new information learned along the route, minus any elements that turned out to be superfluous. DE facilitates this program development process, and accountability is maintained by ensuring that lessons are shared and applied.
Using Developmental Evaluation #
Developmental evaluation is particularly well suited to projects or programs that operate in uncertain environments, where the external environment is constantly changing, are concerned with innovation, replication, or mainstreaming, and where the project or program’s main objective is to determine what works and what doesn’t, rather than following established pathways to change.
Development evaluation requires collaboration among numerous stakeholders from various organizations or sectors. In general, development evaluation is best suited for use in complex situations where the path to change is non-linear and cannot be readily foreseen. Although developmental assessment is primarily intended to help management decision-making and learning, the same findings can be used in many circumstances to hold various stakeholders accountable.
References
- Gamble, J. A. A. (2008). A Developmental evaluation primer. Montreal: TheJW McConnell Family Foundation.
- Patton, M. Q. (2011). Developmental evaluation: Applying complexity concepts to enhance innovation and use. New York: The Guildford Press.
- Patton , M. Q. (2012). Planning and evaluating for social change: An evening at SFU with Michael Quinn Patton
