Published by the UNEG

Professionalization of Evaluation  Concept Paper

2 June 2016

Purpose of the Document

This concept paper provides a framework for thinking about the professionalization of evaluation at the global level and provides specific direction regarding the roles of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG). It looks at setting up a professionalization system that would apply the UNEG Competency Framework1, provide a platform for evaluation professional development and strengthen the  professionalization of evaluation at the organizational level.

An example of ethics from the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) [17].

Published by DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE 

PRINCIPLES FOR EVALUATION OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PARIS 1991

"In response to its general mandate to strengthen the volume and developmental
effectiveness of aid, the DAC has drawn up a series of policy principles addressing key areas
of aid programming and management including Project Appraisal, Programme Assistance and
Technical Co-operation. Aid evaluation plays an essential role in the efforts to enhance the
quality of development co-operation. The following set of principles state the views of DAC
Members on the most important requirements of the evaluation process based on current
policies and practices as well as donor agency experiences with evaluation and feedback of
results." (Page  3)

Published by UNEG (United Nations Evaluation Group)

Norms for Evaluation in the UN System  April 2005

Foundation Document

"The norms seek to facilitate system-wide collaboration on evaluation by ensuring that evaluation entities within the UN follow agree-upon basic principles. They provide a reference for strengthening, professionalizing and improving the quality of evaluation in all entities of the United Nations system, including funds, programmes and specialized agencies. The norms are consistent with other main sources3 and reflect the singularity of the United Nations system characterized by its focus on people and respect for their rights, the importance of international values and principles, universality and neutrality, its multiple stakeholders, its needs for global governance, its multidisciplinarity, and its complex accountability system. Last but not least, there is the challenge of international cooperation embedded in the Millennium Declaration and Development Goals." (Page 3)

Evaluator Competencies Crosswalk of Developed Competency Documents (August 2015)

"In 2015 the AEA Board of Directors appointed a Task Force to develop a set of evaluator competencies for the association. The membership of the American Evaluation Association has previously endorsed three documents that have contributed to the professionalization of our field:

• The Joint Committee’s Program Evaluation Standards, currently in their 3rd edition (2011, http://www.jcsee.org/program-evaluation-standards-statements [25])
• AEA’s Guiding Principles for Evaluators (revised in 2004, http://eval.org [26])
• AEA’s Cultural Competence Statement (2011, http://eval.org [26])

The proposed competencies will be the fourth such document. Working over the course of the spring and summer 2015, the Task Force reviewed existing sets of general and subject-specific competencies for program, policy, and personnel evaluation to identify foundational competencies necessary to the diverse evaluation practice of AEA members. What follows is a crosswalk of evaluator competencies." (Page 1)

Published by the The Canadian Evaluation Society

Competencies for Canadian Evaluation Practice

V 11.0 4 16 2010

"This document provides a suite of competencies for evaluation work in Canada. Competencies are defined as “the background, knowledge, skills, and dispositions program evaluators need to achieve standards that constitute sound evaluations.” 1 These were developed through research, member consultation and expert validation processes conducted in 2008 and 2009.

While the Competencies for Canadian Evaluation practice were developed as part of the Credentialing Program of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES), they provide a much broader foundation for the evaluation community. They can be used as a foundation for:

•  developing training programs and deciding what skills and knowledge to incorporate in a learning
• event;
•  self assessment by Evaluators to decide what professional development they want to pursue;
•  designing jobs, writing job descriptions when deciding to employ evaluation expertise;
•  developing RFPs, SoWs or ToRs when contracting for evaluation services;
•  And supporting decisions made in the Credentialing Program." (Page 2)

Published by INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION ASSOCIATION 

Competencies for Development Evaluation Evaluators, Managers, and Commissioners

IDEAS Working Group on Evaluation Competencies

"This document represents a first step in the initiative of IDEAS to systematically address the issue of competencies. Some of you have asked us to indicate which competencies are core, and others have asked us similarly to designate levels of competence. Let me say that there will be continuing work on the competencies and on the issue of whether IDEAS will grant a certificate of competence or some type of credential. These are issues that will be taken up in stage 2 of our work on competencies. For now, we hope that the competencies will assist you in the context of your own professional improvement or for reviewing team competence."  (Page 6)

Ray C. Rist, Ph. D. IDEAS, President  January 2012

The Canadian  Journal  of Program Evaluation   /  La Revue canadienne d’évaluation de programme

29.3 Special Issue / Numéro spécial 2015

Professionalization of Evaluation in Canada / La Professionnalisation de l’évaluation au Canada

Guest Editors: Heather Buchanan and Keiko Kuji-Shikatani

Why is the VEPR Initiative grounded in a capabilities approach? (Robert Picciotto)

Canadian Evaluation Society

Credentialed Evaluator Designation Program: EVALUATION REPORT (Jan 2016)

Submitted by:

• Leslie A. Fierro, PhD, MPH
• Nicole Galport, MA
• Ashley Hunt, MA
• Heather Codd, MPA
• Stewart I. Donaldson, PhD
• Claremont Graduate University

Canadian Evaluation Society Credentialed Evaluator Designation Program EVALUATION REPORT: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Submitted by: Leslie A. Fierro, PhD, MPH Nicole Galport, MA Ashley Hunt, MA Heather Codd, MPA Stewart I. Donaldson, PhD Claremont Graduate University