Developing effective evaluation partnerships: Paradigmatic and contextual barriers

 

Pennie G. Foster-Fishman (*)

Daniel F. Perkins (**)

William S. Davidson (***)

 

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is the description of effective evaluation partnerships of community based programs involving the evaluators, the organizations, and the communities. The evaluation may adress problems like domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, people with disabilities or contexts as schools, organizations, communities or policies.

The experience of a Foundation that intended to have it´s community based program evaluated is described, and resisted to consult with the community about their needs. Through this example are identified the criteria that may influence the sucess of the collaborative evaluations between communities, organizations and evaluation professionals that consider themselves as facilitators.

Key words: Evaluation, Community-based programs, Partnerships.

 

RESUMO

O artigo tem como objectivo a descrição do funcionamento de uma parceria eficaz entre os profissionais de avaliação de Programas de base comunitária, as organizações e as comunidades envolvidas. A avaliação pode abranger problemas vários como violência doméstica, delinquência juvenil, pessoas com deficiência ou contextos como escolas, organizações, comunidades ou mesmo a implementação de políticas.

É descrita uma experiência de uma Fundação que pretendia ver o seu Programa de Intervenção Comunitária Avaliado, mas que resistia em recolher as informações junto da população sobre as suas necessidades. A partir deste exemplo, são identificados alguns dos critérios que podem estar na base do sucesso vs. insucesso das avaliações de programas comunitários numa perspectiva de colaboração entre a comunidade, as organizações e os avaliadores que se apresentam como facilitadores.

Palavras-chave: Avaliação, Programas comunitários, Parcerias.

 

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text only available in PDF format.

 

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(*) Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MT 48824-1117, USA

(**) Department of Human Ecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

(***) Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MT 48824-1117, USA.