Page 33 - Training of the Trainers: Integrating One Health Core Competencies for Teaching Future One Health Workforce

Chapter II

EVALUATION

1. Introduction to Evaluation

According to a definition in Cambridge Dictionary, evaluation means to judge or
calculate the quality, importance, or value of something. As stated by Michael Scriven

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(2003) , a British academic best known for his contributions to the theory and practice of
evaluation, the characteristics of evaluation include:

1) Assesses overall achievement and impacts

2) Systematic (using rules and procedures) way of learning
3) Aims to improve current and future activities

4) Assumes changes occurred that can be measurable
5) Involves value judgment

The term “evaluation” is similar to “assessment”, “monitoring”, and “research”.
Evaluations differ from traditional research in that they are typically driven by stakeholder

interests and value judgments rather than the desire to create new knowledge. Usually

conducted by internal staff, monitoring is a continuous process. Monitoring generally consists
of tracking inputs and outputs of a program or project to see if it is performing according to

expectations. Therefore, monitoring is useful for tracking program implementation and

changes. While monitoring and evaluation respond to stakeholder needs and interests,
research is primarily driven by curiosity and hypothesis-testing. Whereas monitoring and

evaluation results are often written up as internal reports, research is often intended for a
broader audience and published in academic journals.

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Scriven, M. 2003. Michael Scriven on the difference between evaluation and social science research.
The Evaluation Exchange. IX(4):7.

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