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Facilitating Evaluation
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Facilitating Evaluation
Principles in Practice



January 2018 | 336 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Michael Quinn Patton’s Facilitating Evaluation: Principles in Practice is the first book of its kind to explain in depth and detail how to facilitate evaluation processes with stakeholders. Using the author’s own stories of his experiences as an evaluation facilitator, the book illustrates the five evaluation facilitation principles that are the organizing framework for addressing how to work with stakeholders to generate evaluation questions, make decisions among methods, interpret findings, and participate in all aspects of evaluation. Ultimately, this book will help readers perform facilitation to enhance the relevance, credibility, meaningfulness, and utility of evaluations.

 

“A must-read for anyone considering a high-impact evaluation!”

 

–Margaret Lombe, Boston College

 
Volume Editors’ Introduction
 
Preface
 
About the Author
 
PART A. THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EVALUATION FACILITATOR
Context: My Facilitation Experience and Perspective

 
What Facilitators Do

 
What Is Evaluation?

 
 
Chapter 1. The Niche of Evaluation Facilitation
Facilitating the What Is Evaluation Task Force

 
The Results of Facilitation

 
Facilitation as White-Water Navigating

 
Evaluation Facilitation as a Distinct Form of Facilitation

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Ten Resources for Explaining and Getting Started in Evaluation

 
 
Chapter 2. Facilitating Evaluation to Enhance Use
Evaluation Facilitation

 
Evaluation Facilitation Scenarios

 
Variations in the Need for Facilitation

 
Being Active, Reactive, Interactive, and Adaptive

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Facilitation Resources for Skill Assessment and Development

 
 
Chapter 3. The Overarching Principle of Evaluation Facilitation: Be Utilization-Focused
Why Use Principles-Focused Evaluation Facilitation

 
GUIDE Dimensions of the Utilization-Focused Principle

 
Summary

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Additional Resources

 
 
PART B. FIVE OPERATING PRINCIPLES FOR FACILITATING EVALUATION
Quick Review

 
Overarching Versus Operating Principles

 
The Evaluation Facilitation Brittle Star

 
 
Chapter 4. Be Guided by the Personal Factor: The First Operating Principle
The Personal Factor

 
GUIDE Dimensions of the Personal Factor Principle

 
Effective Practices for Facilitating Evaluation

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Summary

 
Resources for Applying the Personal Factor Principle

 
 
Chapter 5. Engage Through Options: The Second Operating Principle
Research on Deciding Among Options

 
What Makes Evaluation Decision Making Challenging for Stakeholders

 
Myriad of Choices

 
GUIDE Dimensions of the Engage Through Options Principle

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Summary

 
Tools and Resources for Facilitating Engagement With Options

 
 
Chapter 6. Observe, Interpret, and Adapt: The Third Operating Principle
Adopting an Observation Mindset

 
Adapting in Real Time

 
Adaptive Action as a Framework for Evaluation Facilitation

 
GUIDE Criteria for the Observe, Interpret, Adapt Principle

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Summary

 
Resources to Support Observation, Interpretation, and Adaptation

 
 
Chapter 7. Embed Evaluative Thinking Throughout: The Fourth Operating Principle
Evaluative Thinking

 
GUIDE Criteria for the Evaluative Thinking Principle

 
Facilitation Lessons

 
Summary

 
Additional Resources to Support Facilitating Evaluative Thinking

 
 
Chapter 8. Invigorate With Leading-Edge Inputs: The Fifth Operating Principle
Facilitating at the Leading Edge

 
GUIDE Criteria for the Leading-Edge Principle

 
Summary

 
Leading-Edge Tools and Resources

 
 
Chapter 9. Principles-Focused Evaluation Facilitation: Conclusion and a Look Forward
Central Theme of the Book

 
Integrating the Principles

 
Integrating Principles in Practice

 
Situation Recognition and Evaluation Facilitation

 
Graphic Recording for Evaluation Facilitation

 
Some Issues Not Addressed in This Book

 
The Future of Evaluation Facilitation

 
Final Offering of Resources to Expand Your Evaluation Facilitation Horizons

 
Other Frameworks for Evaluation Facilitation

 
 
References
 
Index

“A must-read for anyone considering a high-impact evaluation!”

Margaret Lombe
Boston College

“The lessons of this book will make a big difference in the way we think about evaluation processes and problem solving.”

Chris Stream
University of Las Vegas-Nevada

For instructors

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