The whole elephant: Defining evaluation

Abstract

Definitions help us understand the characteristics of an object or phenomenon and are a necessary precursor to understanding what a good version of it looks like. Evaluation as a field has resisted a common definition (Crane, 1988; Morell & Flaherty, 1978; M. F. Smith, 1999), which has implications for marketing, training, practice, and quality assurance. In this position paper, I describe the benefits and challenges of not having a clear, agreed-upon definition, then propose and explore the implications of two definitions for the evaluation profession based on values and valuation as the core of evaluation practice. The purpose is to describe a possible way forward through definition that w..