S. Mathison, RETHINKING THE EVALUATOR ROLE - PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS AND EVALUATORS, Evaluation and program planning, 17(3), 1994, pp. 299-304
Participatory evaluation provides a framework for conducting evaluatio
ns which recognize the importance of representing stakeholder interest
s, and also seeking the investment of stakeholders in the construction
of the evaluation process and product. This type of evaluation casts
the evaluators role as an involved collaborating participant in the ev
aluation. I have suggested partnerships between evaluators and organiz
ations as one possible manifestation of this new role. Such partnershi
ps provide for a long term relationship between evaluator and organiza
tion, at less cost than an internal evaluator, and with greater likeli
hood of addressing systemic factors which directly effect the quality
of goods and services provided by the organization.