Who Are Evaluators? (Re)Defining Who We Are and What We Do

• In Event: Research on Evaluation SIG Session 2

Abstract

This study examined who calls themselves an evaluator and why, as well as how evaluators differ from non-evaluators. Twenty evaluators and twenty non-evaluators participated in an hour-long semi-structured interview which involved questions about their applied practice and identity, as well as perceived similarities and differences between evaluators and related applied professionals. Results showed how intertwined professional identity is with personal identity, and that training programs and professional associations play a big role in shaping one’s professional identity. Despite values being a key part of evaluation, participants struggled to name how this manifested in their work. This study contributes to the larger conversation on the professionalization of evaluation by helping understand the jurisdictional boundaries between evaluation and other related fields.

Authors

• Laura Freise, University of Connecticut - Storrs

• Dana Linnell Wanzer, University of Wisconsin-Stout

• Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead, University of Connecticut