Plenum 1

Evaluative Thinking: A Compass to Navigate the Future Landscape of Evaluation

What is on the horizon in the landscape of evaluation? The current prominence of New Public Management (NPM) in the Danish evaluation space represents a potential ‘fork in the road’ for evaluation practice. On the one hand, it could signal a turn towards technical-rationalistic governmentality, according to which evaluation simply serves as a market-driven compliance activity. On the other hand, it could be a harbinger of the role of evaluation as catalyst for a culture of learning and adaptive management. In this presentation, I propose that the notion of ‘evaluative thinking’ is an important factor in deciding which way evaluation will turn. Evaluative thinking, a construct that has garnered increasing attention in recent years, is a democratizing, learning-centered aspect of evaluation, akin to critical thinking. In this presentation, I first discuss how NPM is positioned at this fork in the road. Then, I introduce evaluative thinking and make the case for its role in ensuring that evaluation lives up to its potential as a force for social betterment in society.

Præsentation

Oplægsholder

Tom Archibald, Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech