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Evaluator Competency Just Because You Have a Library Card Doesn’t Make You Yoda. Chris L. S. Coryn Western Michigan University Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation. Kia ora …and special acknowledgments to …. it is an honor and privilege to have this opportunity.
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Evaluator CompetencyJust Because You Have a Library Card Doesn’t Make You Yoda Chris L. S. Coryn Western Michigan University Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation
Kia ora…and special acknowledgments to… it is an honor and privilege to have this opportunity Kate McKegg, E. Jane Davidson, my students, the conference organizing committee, & attendees…
An abbreviated life history… that has significantly influenced my world view and evaluation practice
Bad is bad and good is good and it is the job of evaluators to decide which is which” “ — Michael Scriven
Other influences… Davidson Cronbach Hattie Stufflebeam Cook Chelimsky Shadish Patton
knowledge, skills, abilities, traits, & other characteristics needed to conduct high quality evaluation… in most cultural and contextual environments Competency…
some competencies are ‘work’-oriented… others are ‘worker’-oriented A note of explanation…
really, really matter… others often matter more Technical competencies…
the demands placed on evaluators continue to expand… and the requisite competencies are daunting As mentioned by Kushner yesterday…
theory, method, & practice The umbrella…
roots, history, & approaches Theoretically knowledgeable…
quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, & evaluation-specific Methodologically knowledgeable…
maximize appropriate use Use-oriented…
Modest… recognize the limits of knowledge claims… do not pretend to be ‘all knowing’
Benevolent… well-meaning… not self-serving
Virtuous… adhere to ethical and moral principles… culturally appropriate
Able to impart information… tailored to audience… verbal, nonverbal, formal, & informal
Proactive… foresee potential problems… act in advance
Maximize cost-benefit… through project management… using available resources
able to respond to uncertainty Tolerance for ambiguity…
act on one’s ‘feet’ Quick-thinking…
rather than a Rorschach test Able to provide the ‘bottom line’…
able to accept criticism and respond appropriately Thick-skinned…
The ‘library card’… having a library card does not one make a good evaluator…” “ — Yoda (as paraphrased by Chris Coryn)
In conclusion… Stevahn et al. — and others — fail to account for several important attributes of ‘high quality’ evaluators… nontechnical traits not duly considered in most taxonomies