Evaluation Research: A Pragmatic, Program-Focused, Research Strategy for Decision-Makers

Abstract

Human resource development (HRD) practitioners frequently need to gather and organize data to support decisions about programs. Unfortunately, in many work environments there is a short time available to gather data in support of the decision-making process. Yet the ability to develop or use data or to convince others to use data has become the prime concern of decisionmakers. The evaluation research strategy contains four primary features—utility, feasibility, proprietorship, and accuracy. With a philosophical foundation grounded in pragmatism, evaluation research follows a four-level decision-making hierarchy: purpose, techniques, plan, and implementation. In addition, there are nine major purposes. There are two primary participants in evaluation research: the researcher and the stakeholder group. The stakeholder group is included because of the belief that people who have a stake in an evaluation research outcome should be actively and meaningfully involved in shaping that research effort, thus increasing the likelihood of utilization. Evaluation research may be goal-driven; or it may focus on evaluation questions, concerns and issues, program rationales, decisions or problems, or organization (client) needs.