Knowledge management, networking and communication for better evaluation in agriculture, food security and rural development
My contributions
What type of evaluator are you?
Discussion
EvalForward [user:field_middlename] Team
EvalForward Team
Italy
Knowledge management, networking and communication for better evaluation in agriculture, food security and rural development
EvalForward Team
Dear all,
739 participants participated in the quiz (as of 10 April 2023), and here are the results: 44% came out as mediators, 33% as pragmatists, 12% scientists and 11% activists. Copied below are the descriptions of the corresponding profiles for your reference.
Of course this result is in no way statistically significant and we are aware that in the quiz, as some of you commented below, responses were not straightforward or that more than one option could apply.
The aim was just to keep us reflecting on the various roles evaluators can have and how this profession is evolving.
We hope you enjoyed!
The quiz remains open for those who still want to give it a go!
The EvalForward Team
Majority of A: Activist
The most important thing for you is to initiate political change, by being the voice of those who are usually left behind: the actors in the field, and above all those who have been marginalized or forgotten by the policies being implemented. Understanding power relations is essential for you. You catalyze people's efforts to build their evaluation, in mutual respect between cultures, beliefs, and points of view. It is the process, as much as the outcome, that will empower them.
Majority of B: Scientist
For you, evaluation’s main value is the contribution to objective knowledge of public action and of mechanisms that govern the behavior of actors. Evaluation will tell if the action has achieved its goals, what are the lessons and what can be upscaled or replicated. The more rigorous and unbiased the method, the more likely it is that the evaluation will be useful and will contribute to change. In terms of methods, you favour quantitative methods and put a lot of effort into the design stage.
Majority of C: Pragmatist
An evaluation must first be useful to its commissioners, and you will do whatever it takes for that to be the case. Depending on the circumstances, you will use quantitative or qualitative methods, participatory or not, very elaborate, or very rudimentary. It depends in the context. But no matter what, you will ensure that the evaluation remains useful, even if you have to change it along the way: that is where your expertise and added value lies.
Majority of D: Mediator
For you, evaluation means first of all helping stakeholders to collectively construct a judgment, and all the rest of evaluation practice flows from that. It is therefore necessary to organize a collective process through which everyone will make their own values explicit: this is an intrinsic contribution of evaluation. In terms of methods, you favor qualitative or mixed methods, shaped in response to the questions asked and aimed at considering and understanding all points of view.
EvalForward Team
Dear all,
Thanks for taking the quiz and for your feedback!
Among over 500 responses received so far, most evaluators emerge as Mediators (44%), followed by Pragmatists (32%). Activists and scientist both represent 12% of respondents.
With this quiz we wanted to spark reflection on different paradigms evaluators can have, and how these may influence the choice of methods and approaches. Of course, evaluators may apply different paradigms depending on the situation and one paradigm does not exclude others.
The quiz is still open and we look forward to continue the conversation.
The EvalForward Team
EvalForward Team
Many thanks for all your excellent remarks and comments in this forum!