Evaluating the longer-term sustainability of government programs and policies seems in many ways to go beyond the boundaries of typical evaluation practice. Not only have intervention failures over time been difficult to predict, but the question of sustainability itself tends to fall outside current evaluation thinking, timing and functions. This…

In this paper, the author argues that evaluation theory and practice interact insufficiently today, even though early evaluation theorists expected them to be closely intertwined. She views this limited connection as the result of differing interests on the part of theorists and practitioners, differing frequencies of dissemination, and differing…

This article presents a plenary address wherein the author talks about cultural clashes, about what happens when evaluation meets politics. In her address, the author talks about the kinds of clashes that occur on a regular basis between evaluative independence and the political culture it challenges, along with possible ways to predict, parry, or…

Discusses the challenges facing foundations and offers a nine-part framework to suggest how an evaluation office can help foundations meet these challenges. The emphasis on capacity building is also of interest to organizations other than foundations. (SLD)

A database of about 300 published evaluations is used to compare some of the lessons learned in recent practice to some of the traditional theoretical precepts of evaluation. Evaluation practice should recognize its sources in politics as it keeps its independence. Changes to help bring this about are recommended. (SLD)