The progressive future of evaluation

In this article I will speculate about the future of evaluation. But before doing so I will look in the rear view mirror and look at the road we have already travelled. Recollecting in tranquillity is an occupational disease: as evaluators we are mandated to evaluate evaluation. We do so for formative as well as summative reasons. As the world changes evaluation policy directions must be reconsidered. Adaptation of paradigms, processes and practices has been a constant throughout evaluation history. For example over the past decade, international development evaluation emphases were completely transformed to reflect a comprehensive public policy agenda focused on human well being in line with the global aspirations of the Millennium Development Goals1. Greater rigour in impact assessment is being emphasized once constraints on aid budgets became more strict and demanding2. But the world does not stand still and the ground under us is again shifting. We are about to enter a new evaluation age. Where are we going and where are we coming from?

Keywords:Evaluation future, impact assessmet, professionalisation of evaluation, evaluation models

Roberto Picciotto, The progressive future of evaluation in "RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione" 55/2013, pp 7-20, DOI: 10.3280/RIV2013-055002