A Multidisciplinary Model of Evaluation Capacity Building

TLDR

Evaluation capacity building is a widely discussed topic with many strategies, yet no overarching model guides its design and implementation. The article aims to present a model of ECB for designing, implementing, and researching capacity‑building activities. The model outlines how to design and implement ECB activities and processes, providing a framework for empirical study.

Abstract

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) has become a hot topic of conversation, activity, and study within the evaluation field. Seeking to enhance stakeholders' understanding of evaluation concepts and practices, and in an effort to create evaluation cultures, organizations have been implementing a variety of strategies to help their members learn from and about evaluation. Though there is a great deal of ECB occurring in a wide range of organizations, there is no overarching conceptual model that describes how ECB should be designed and implemented to maximize its success. If ECB is about learning how to think evaluatively and how to engage in sound evaluation practice, then something is missing in our work. The purpose of this article is to describe a model of ECB that may be used for designing and implementing capacity building activities and processes as well as for conducting empirical research on this topic.