Toward Clarification of Program Evaluation: A Proposal with Implications for the Possible Certification of Evaluators

Abstract

Recent attention to the topic of the possible certification of evaluators highlights several of the central problems facing the field. Controversies exist regarding the purposes and methods of evaluation. Indeed, there is no generally accepted definition of the term evaluation. Such problems would make it very difficult to formulate criteria for certification, if that step is taken eventually. Some plausible procedures are described for classifying different approaches to evaluation, and for subsequent elaboration in terms of philosophical foundations, theory, definitions, purposes, methodology, and ethical guidelines for each major category or cluster of categories. Such work could act as the foundation for subsequent efforts on certification and, in any case, would be enlightening about the current state and potential future directions of evaluation.