Presidential Address: On Mainstreaming Evaluation

Abstract

The practice of evaluation in organizations continues to be limited by perceptions that evaluation is a marginal activity. Arguments demonstrating the importance of evaluation have been ineffective in moving most organizations toward integrating evaluation into their daily routines. A multifaceted approach to making evaluation a part of organizational culture is proposed. It includes using allies, examples, models, research, process guides, and trainers/developers. This article is based on The Presidential Address given by Dr. James R. Sanders at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) in St. Louis, MO. The theme for the conference was “Mainstreaming Evaluation.”