Using Evaluative Information Sensibly: The Enduring Contributions of John Mayne

Abstract

In this concluding article, we take stock of the diverse and stimulating contributions comprising this special issue. Using concept mapping, we identify eight evaluation themes and concepts central to John Mayne’s collective work: evaluation utilization, results-based management, organizational learning, accountability, evaluation culture, contribution analysis, theory-based evaluation, and causation. The overarching contribution story is that John’s work served to bridge the gaps between evaluation practice and theory; to promote cross-disciplinary synergies across program evaluation, performance auditing, and monitoring; and to translate central themes in evaluation into a cogent system for using evaluative information more sensibly. In so doing, John left a significant institutional and academic legacy in evaluation and in results-based management.