Understanding Appreciative Inquiry in Program Evaluation

1. Appreciative Inquiry Deborah Perez Fall 2011 Program Evaluation

2. “The term “appreciative” comes from the idea that when something increases in value it “appreciates.”

3. History of Appreciative Inquiry David Cooperrider, 1980 Study on physician leadership

4. Examples of AI’s Value • The Placebo Effect • Pygmalion Studies • Medical Surgeries

5. AI Principles (Preskill & Coghlan, 2003) • Constructivist Principle: Related to the notion that multiple realities exist based on perceptions and shared understandings,. • Principle of Simultaneity: Because reality is an evolving social construction. It is possible through inquiry to influence the reality an organization constructs for itself. Inquiry and change are simultaneous and “inquiry is intervention.”. • Poetic Principle: Because reality is a human construction, an organization is like an open book in which its story is being co-authored continually by its members and those who interact with them. • Anticipatory Principle: This principle postulates that the image of an organization has of its future guides that organization’s current behavior. • Positive Principles: This principle arose from extensive experience with Appreciative Inquiry. Early AI practitioners found that the more positive the questions the asked were, the more engaged and excited participants were and the more successful and longer lasting the change effort was.

6. Assumptions(Preskill & Coghlan, 2003) • In every community something works • What we focus on becomes our reality • Reality is created in the moment – there is more than one reality • The act of asking questions influences the community in some way • People have more confidence and comfort to journey into the future when they carry forward parts of the past • If we carry forward parts of the past, they should be the best parts • It is important to value differences • The language we use creates our reality

7. Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry The Process

8. Cycle of Appreciative Inquiry

9. AI and Evaluation(Preskill & Coghlan, 2003) AI contributes to evaluation practice: • Where previous evaluation efforts have failed • Where there is a fear of skepticism about evaluation • Within hostile or volatile environments • When change needs to be accelerated • When dialogue is critical to moving the organization forward • When relationships among individuals and groups have deteriorated and there is a sense of hopelessness • To guide an evaluation’s design, development, and implementation as an overarching philosophy and framework

10. Appreciating Appreciative Inquiry(Preskill & Coghlan, 2003) Limitations • Plausibility of its theory of action • Practicality • Sustainability

11. Any take a ways related to our group projects?