An introduction to context and its role in evaluation practice

Abstract

Abstract Evaluators have written about the need to consider context in conducting evaluations, but most such admonitions are broad. Context is not developed fully. This chapter reviews the evaluation literature on context and discusses the two areas in which context has been more carefully considered by evaluators: the culture of program participants when their culture is different from the predominant one and the cultural norms of program participants in countries outside the West. We have learned much about how the culture of participants or communities can affect evaluation and should continue our learning there. Evaluators also need to expand their consideration of context to consider the program itself and its setting and the political norms of audiences, decision makers, and other stakeholders of the program. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.