A précis of the evaluation competency literature

This literature review, written by Robyn Bailey for the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA), outlines much of the literature that has been developed on evaluator competencies with a view to informing the development of a set of evaluator competencies for ANZEA.

Excerpt

"This literature précis was commissioned by the anzea Board to help inform the development of a draft set of evaluator competencies relevant for Aotearoa New Zealand, for consideration by anzea’s membership. The competencies are being developed to:

• Inform and guide sound and ethical evaluation practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, in a range of roles relevant to evaluation practice
• Provide guidance to trainers, teachers of evaluation and tertiary institutions about the minimum or graduating standards for evaluators in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Provide a basis for voluntary self-review by evaluation practitioners
• Support the development of employment criteria or standards for various evaluation positions or roles
• Increase public awareness and understanding about the dimensions that make up  ‘good’ evaluation practice in Aotearoa New Zealand"

Contents

• Section one: Synthesis Key terms and definitions 7
  • Range and levels of evaluator competencies and cultural competencies 9
  • Key issues in the field of evaluation that may affect the ongoing development of evaluation competencies 19
  • Essential competencies 21
  • Key issues in designating and reviewing evaluator competence 23
  • Cultural imperatives potentially underpinning the development of evaluator competencies in Aotearoa New Zealand 26
• Section two: Competencies 28
  • Thinking informing the development of competency approaches 28
  • Examples of competencies 46
  • Section three: Cultural competency 63
  • Aotearoa New Zealand developments and approaches 63
  • International developments and approaches 76
  • Literature reviewed 88
• Appendices 90
  • Appendix one: Example of Gomes and Daly competencies 90
  • Appendix two: Checklists from Evaluation for Māori: Guidelines for Government Agencies 1999 92
  • Appendix three: Definition of terms from Pacific Cultural Competencies: A literature review 2008 95
  • Appendix four: Excerpt from A Cultural Reading of the Program Evaluation Standards, 2nd edition: Executive Summary. (2004)  98