Developing evaluation criteria using an ethical lens

Abstract

Selecting and justifying relevant criteria is critical to defensible evaluative reasoning, yet there is little advice in the literature to guide practitioners in criteria development. In this article, we introduce a framework that draws on normative ethical perspectives to systematically identify and justify relevant dimensions of value for a public sector–funded program. We illustrate, through an example taken from a recent research project, how evaluators might use the framework to be more thoughtful about identifying and selecting the values against which judgements are made. The potential strengths and limitations of the framework are then discussed.