System evaluation theory (SET): A practical framework for evaluators to meet the challenges of system evaluation

Abstract

This article presents a guiding framework for evaluators to conduct systems evaluation: system evaluation theory (SET). The article firstly defines ‘systems’, ‘system theory’, and ‘system thinking’; it then discusses the confusion in the evaluation literature surrounding the use of these terms (noting their application is primarily in evaluating programs, not evaluating modern day systems). Three guiding principles for evaluating modern day systems are then presented demonstrating: a) their relationship to systems theory; and b) how they assist the evaluator in accomplishing an evaluation.